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ATLANTA – As pickleball continues its rapid rise as America’s fastest growing sport, Veolia is entering the third year of its partnership with the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) by deepening its commitment to sustainability and measurable environmental impact at the sport’s biggest moments. That impact is already visible. Through Veolia water refill stations at PPA Tour tournaments, the use of more than 131,000 single-use plastic bottles has been avoided since the launch in 2025, showing how practical sustainability solutions can scale up as the game grows. 

For decades, Veolia, a global leader in environmental services, has worked with U.S. cities, industries and communities to help them manage, recycle and protect their critical resources in the face of environmental challenges. In the United States, Veolia is particularly committed to combating micropollutants in drinking water, preserving this critical resource and treating hazardous waste. 

Veolia’s partnership with the PPA Tour shows how sustainability can be built directly into professional sports operations: visible to fans, measurable at scale and designed to leave host communities stronger. At the heart of the Veolia–PPA partnership is a focus on visible infrastructure and measurable reduction. Water refill stations for fans and players remain a cornerstone of tournament operations. New this year, Veolia will install two benches on championship court at the Veolia Atlanta Pickleball Championships made entirely from 100% recycled and 100% recyclable plastics from appliances, manufacturing components or single-use plastic items, reinforcing the value of circular materials at all tournaments with the PPA Tour. 

Additional initiatives across the partnership include upcycled and 3D-printed trophies and recycling programs that divert used pickleballs from landfills, further reducing waste and supporting a circular economy. The pickleball recycling program fits within Veolia’s Engineered Fuels program, which allows the cracked and broken balls to be shredded and transformed into alternative fuel for cement production to help lower cement’s carbon footprint. 

The unique Veolia sustainable trophy is made from upcycled materials such as windshields and other various recycled materials. Manufactured in the Netherlands at a specialized processing plant, drawing on Veolia’s expertise, the trophy includes an upcycled acrylic body and a bio-based 3D-printed base. 

As the title sponsor of the Veolia Atlanta Pickleball Championships, Veolia is helping position pickleball as a model for sustainability in professional sports. Drawing on its expertise across water, waste and energy, Veolia works with the PPA to implement practical sustainability solutions at tournaments, creating an approach that can be replicated across leagues and host cities.

In its third year as a sponsor, Veolia is expanding beyond tournament operations to deliver sustainability initiatives in Atlanta on the sidelines of the tournament, which will take place from Friday, May 1 to Sunday, May 3. To celebrate Drinking Water Week beginning May 3, Veolia is giving Atlantans a behind‑the‑scenes look at how water is treated and protected through tours of the Johns Creek Environmental Campus. As part of National Public Works Week (May 17 to 23), the facility will welcome visitors to learn what happens to water before and after we use it. Fans at the Veolia Atlanta Pickleball Championships can sign up for tours at the Veolia booth onsite. 

The experience builds on Veolia and local partners’ award‑winning education program, which has already inspired more than 180,000 Georgia students and community members through hands‑on learning centered on sustainability, STEM and environmental stewardship.