Pickleball Goes Green: Veolia Joins Forces with Professional Pickleball Association as Official Partner and Sustainability Provider

> A three-year partnership that aligns with Veolia’s mission to support organizations and industries that want to become more environmentally sustainable

> Veolia will start with focusing on improving waste collection, increasing recycling percentages, providing sustainable water refill stations and boosting the environmental performance of the PPA Tour

> The Pickleball season in the US, which started at the beginning of the year, is taking place across 26 stages in several American cities and will end on December 5, 2024. The season finale will be held in San Clemente, California.

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As the sport of pickleball continues its meteoric rise as one of the most popular athletic and recreational activities in the U.S, with over 9 million active players, Veolia North America has signed on as a national partner and official sustainability provider for the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA Tour) – a three-year partnership that aligns with Veolia’s mission to support organizations and industries that want to become more environmentally sustainable.

Veolia will help pickleball become America's leading green sport and showcase the many ways that exist to protect precious natural resources such as clean water, soil and air. For example, at each of the tour stops, the Group plans to work with PPA to set up stations that provide clean drinking water and show how Veolia innovations and technology hold enormous promise for solving the challenges posed by drought and diminishing water resources caused by climate change.

“We’re partnering with PPA and exploring ways to reduce the impact of public events so millions of people can continue to enjoy the thrill of sports while minimizing their impact on the environment,” said Veolia North America’s Chief Sustainability Officer Dave Ross. “We will start with improving waste collection, increasing recycling percentages, providing sustainable water refill stations and evaluating the carbon footprint of the PPA Tour. As a recent survey found, most organizations have sustainability goals but they don’t know how to achieve them. We can provide the ‘how’ as we do for clients all over the world.”

“By embracing sustainable practices, organizations can reduce costs, attract funding and sponsors, and ensure their long-term viability in a highly competitive field. Large-scale sporting events are the ideal platform to showcase commitment to positive environmental and social change, which has a global impact. Thanks to Veolia's expertise and the commitment of the PPA Tour, pickleball is set to become a leading green sport in America, inspiring others to follow suit and champion a greener future,” said Veolia North America President and CEO Frederic Van Heems.

“Veolia is a perfect partner for the PPA Tour as a leader in innovation and transformation in the sustainability space,” said Connor Pardoe, Founder and CEO of the PPA Tour. “We are excited to collaborate with Veolia as we become increasingly environmentally conscious at our tournaments across the country and can think of no better partner with whom to champion this effort.”

ABOUT VEOLIA

Veolia Group aims to become the benchmark company for ecological transformation. Present on five continents with nearly 213,000 employees, the Group designs and deploys useful, practical solutions for the management of water, waste and energy that are contributing to a radical turnaround of the current situation. Through its three complementary activities, Veolia helps to develop access to resources, to preserve available resources and to renew them. In 2022, the Veolia group provided 111 million inhabitants with drinking water and 97 million with sanitation, produced nearly 44 million megawatt hours and recovered 61 million tonnes of waste. Veolia Environnement (Paris Euronext: VIE) achieved consolidated revenue of 42.885 billion euros in 2022. www.veolia.com

About Veolia North America

A subsidiary of Veolia group, Veolia North America (VNA) offers a full spectrum of water, waste and energy management services, including water and wastewater treatment, commercial and hazardous waste collection and disposal, energy consulting and resource recovery. VNA helps commercial, industrial, healthcare, higher education and municipality customers throughout North America. Headquartered in Boston, Mass., Veolia North America has more than 10,000 employees working at more than 350 locations across the continent. www.veolianorthamerica.com

About Carvana PPA Tour

Founded in 2019, the Carvana PPA Tour is where pickleball’s top athletes go head-to-head to determine the best male and female players in the world. The Carvana PPA Tour organizes and conducts tournaments at world-class facilities across the country, establishes player rankings, and showcases the world’s best pickleball week in and week out. Inviting amateur players to also compete and “play where the pros play,” the Carvana PPA Tour offers divisions for every age group and skill level. Characterized by a uniquely festive and fun atmosphere, the Carvana PPA Tour events deliver unparalleled experiences for fans on-site, including pro player meet-and-greets, clinics, food, beverages, live entertainment, giveaways, games, shopping, and VIP upgrades. For more information, go to www.ppatour.com, and follow us on social: Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn.