Continuing the journey towards a more sustainable future for table tennis and its equipment, ITTF President Petra Sörling, accompanied by key members of the ITTF, recently visited the headquarters of ESN in Germany. This visit marks the second stop on the tour of table tennis equipment manufacturers, following a successful trip to Japan.

Hosted by Dr. Hans Persson, ESN Managing Director, the aim of the visit was to deepen relationships with one of the leading table tennis rubber manufacturers and explore collaborative opportunities to enhance equipment sustainability.

Joined by Karine Teow, ITTF Head of Sustainability, and ESNs Lisa-Cathrin Leitner, Project Manager for Material Development, Thomas Theissmann, Head of Sales & Customer Relations, Jens Fellke, consultant, and Patrick Forkel, Product Strategy Leader, President Sörling learned firsthand about the manufacturers comprehensive approach to integrating sustainability into their culture and processes.

Examples ranged from innovative initiatives such as utilizing solar panels to provide half of the building and productions electricity, to repurposing rubber waste instead of resorting to burning. ESN also demonstrated their commitment to sustainability through initiatives such as measuring their environmental footprint, conducting internal and external sustainability surveys, and investing in sustainable material testing and development.

Expressing her satisfaction about visiting ESN, President Petra Sörling stated, I commend ESN for their strategic approach to sustainability and their dedication to integrating it into their organizational culture. There is momentum gained following the recent decision of the Federation of International Table-Tennis Manufacturers (FIT) to establish a sustainability working group. Together, all stakeholders need to continue paving the way for more Sustainable Table Tennis Equipment.

Karine Teow also shared her thoughts, expressing encouragement at ESNs progress in embedding sustainability within their DNA. It is crucial to share the best practices emerging from these visits. I will explore avenues to support this endeavour in the future. Leveraging this newfound dynamic is instrumental in advancing the sustainability agenda collaboratively.

Later this month, ITTF President will visit manufacturers in China to continue working alongside industry leaders to drive forward initiatives for more sustainable table tennis equipment, ensuring a brighter and greener future for the sport