For the past three years, to support the growth of pickleball in the U.S., Veolia, a global leader in the water, waste and energy sectors, is demonstrating how large sporting events can reduce waste and conserve resources through its ongoing partnership with the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA). Veolia sponsors six tournaments on the professional tour per year, including two tournaments this September:
- Veolia Pickleball National Championships in Cary, North Carolina (Aug. 31 to Sept. 6)
- Veolia Arizona Open in Mesa (Sept. 14 to 20)
Veolia’s solutions will again be on display for players, fans and host communities alike. For each tournament, Veolia offers water refill stations, recycled-material benches, pickleball recycling initiatives and an upcycled trophy that help reduce waste and conserve resources throughout tournament operations.
Thanks to the work over the past three years to support this growing sport in the United States, the measurable environmental impact is already visible. Through water refill stations at PPA Tour events, more than 166,000 single-use plastic bottles have been avoided since the partnership’s sustainability initiatives began in 2025. The stations remain a cornerstone of tournament operations, making it easier for players and spectators to reduce waste while demonstrating how practical environmental solutions can scale with the country’s fastest-growing sport.
“Pickleball’s growth presents a unique opportunity to demonstrate that sustainability can grow with the sport itself,” said Laurent Obadia, Deputy CEO in charge of Stakeholders and Communication, Veolia. “Our strategic partnership with the PPA Tour shows how simple, measurable solutions can reduce waste, conserve resources and create lasting benefits for host communities while enhancing the experience for players and fans as the sport continues to grow.”
One of the partnership’s most significant but least visible sustainability efforts happens after the final point has been played. At tournament sites across the country, leftover paint used to mark pickleball courts is collected in 55-gallon drums by Veolia teams and transported to the company’s solvent recovery facilities, where it is processed and repurposed rather than discarded. This includes tournaments in Cape Coral, Florida; McKinney, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; and at the Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa, Arizona.
To date, Veolia estimates it has collected at least 48 drums across 12 PPA Tour tournaments thanks to Veolia’s innovative solutions and expertise in waste management, specifically hazardous waste in North America. That amounts to well over 2,000 gallons of material, diverted from disposal and returned to productive use through recovery and recycling processes.
“Fans increasingly expect organizations to take sustainability seriously,” said Connor Pardoe, Founder and CEO of the Carvana PPA Tour. “Our partnership with Veolia demonstrates that sustainability can be visible, practical and measurable. It’s helping us build a stronger future for the sport while creating positive impacts in the communities that host our events.”
Paint recovery is one example of the sustainability initiatives Veolia and the PPA Tour have implemented across the tour to advance the circular economy by finding practical ways to recover materials, reduce waste and keep valuable resources in use for longer. Together with water refill stations and other recycling efforts, the partnership is helping demonstrate how practical environmental solutions can enhance the player and fan experience while delivering measurable environmental benefits.
Across the PPA Tour, Veolia also supports recycling programs, circular economy demonstrations and the use of upcycled materials throughout tournament activations. Before each tournament, Veolia also commits to leaving the city which hosts the tournament better than they found it. For Cary, North Carolina, a local Veolia team and PPA Tour pros will help restore a local community garden. A similar event is being planned in Mesa, Arizona to give back to that community as well. By connecting its work with professional sports to its everyday work in communities, Veolia is demonstrating how sustainability solutions can create impact at every level, from a local neighborhood to a championship court.