Broken rackets, used shuttlecocks, empty shuttle tubes, even bits of snapped string … these are badminton’s discarded objects, generated on a daily basis in tens of thousands of courts, both at the recreational and elite levels.

Yet, these are also the least thought-of objects of the sport, their utility having expired once rackets, shuttles and strings are past their short life cyle.

In an age of sustainability-driven conversations, Kai Schaefer is concerned about these things. Germany’s highest-ranked men’s singles player at No.67, Schaefer and teammate Miranda Wilson have started a foundation called Badminton Earth which is involved with recycling discarded badminton equipment, besides also other environmental projects such as planting trees to offset carbon footprint.

Among the recycled objects, for instance, are keychains and bracelets from rackets, insulation material and furniture from compressed feathers of used shuttles, training equipment from shuttle tubes, and 3-D printing material from strings. The foundation has tied up with 65 clubs in Germany.

How does Schaefer go about his passion to recycle badminton material, and what are his other projects? Find out more in our upcoming feature after the TotalEnergies BWF Sudirman Cup Finals 2023.