Uncle Joe's Mint Balls its home games at the DW Stadium On 16 February 2011, Wm Santus' Dorning Street factory produced the two-billionth Uncle Joe's Mint Ball, which was encased in resin and placed on display at the Museum of Wigan Life until 17 March. Uncle Joe's Mint Balls Uncle Joe's Mint Balls are mints produced by Wm Santus & Co. Ltd. in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England since 1898. Despite their name, the mints are not truly spherical but oblate spheroids. The ingredients of Uncle Joe's Mint Balls are: pure cane sugar, oil of peppermint and cream of tartar and are described on the
Shade balls their manufacture. Nevertheless, the balls have a lifespan of ten years, and the plastic may be reused after that. The shade balls used in the Los Angeles project are made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with carbon black additive to protect the plastic from ultraviolet radiation. They are about in diameter, and are partially filled with water to avoid being blown by wind. HDPE plastic is commonly used for food and beverage containers as well as water distribution pipes. The black coating on the balls, called carbon black, is a petroleum derivative which is classified as a carcinogen if inhaled as