What bike stuff do you recycle?

[fiamme red]

I saw this piece: https://theradavist.com/bike-shop-re...urvey-results/.

This made me think about my own use of bike stuff. Probably my two biggest sources of waste are discarded tires and tubes. I try to patch tubes until they can no longer be patched (e.g., the valve stem has a tear), but although I've thought of other uses, they usually end up in the trash, unfortunately. I've also cut up old tires for use as tire boots, but you really just need a short piece or two, not the whole length of a tire.

Another reason to favor metal frames over carbon: they can be recycled. I've broken and recycled a few myself.

[Talrand]

Originally Posted by fiamme red

Another reason to favor metal frames over carbon: they can be recycled. I've broken and recycled a few myself.

Yeah, I'm sure that avoiding 1kg of plastic waste after years of cycling is something that really sold you on steel over carbon

[Tandem Rider]

Originally Posted by fiamme red

I saw this piece: https://theradavist.com/bike-shop-re...urvey-results/.

I've also cut up old tires for use as tire boots, but you really just need a short piece or two, not the whole length of a tire.

I used to live in "Coal Country" where the various HWY departments spread a liberal layer of cinders on the street surface every time it got slick. Cinders would penetrate an 80s training tire faster than a piece of glass. I was getting at least a couple of flats every single ride. I learned to run a smaller tire (preferably also with a protective belt) as a tire liner after cutting off the beads. It rode like a frozen garden hose but I didn't get flats.

Back to the thread, I just recycled a broken rim in the metal recycling and I also patch tubes until they can't be patched.

[AngryScientist]

Recycling programs in the US are nebulous at best.

I've read statistics that are all over the board with regard to what can and does actually get recycled vs what gets put in the recycling bin. I think it makes everyone feel better to put their apparently recyclable items in the dedicated bin, but I'm not so sure how much of it ever gets actually reused again.

With bike stuff, and consumer goods in general, one of the biggest wastes, IMO, is the packaging. Bike companies actually seem to be getting better at this, but there is still a ton of packaging that comes with new parts.

I think all of that pales in comparison to the carbon footprint load of manufacturing the goods and shipping them.

[johnniecakes]

Since I don't patch tubes I will cut out the valves and use them a stretchy tie downs. They can be wrapped tight around things and knotted to hold things down or together. Patches cut out of tires can be used as shims or isolators to reduce vibration. I did this on my wood lathe when I mounted it on a steel table.

[TiminVA]

A use I found for old tubes is cutting a section and running string through it to support newly planted trees. As for old tires, I've amassed quite the collection in a corner of my storage room.

[Ozz]

Originally Posted by TiminVA

A use I found for old tubes is cutting a section and running string through it to support newly planted trees. As for old tires, I've amassed quite the collection in a corner of my storage room.

Hah! Reminded me of the "Mount Firestone" incident from when I was a kid.....

"On September 24, 1984, four million used tires -- stored for recycling in Everett -- begin burning. Although fire officials expect to extinguish the blaze by day's end, it is too difficult to contain, and "Mount Firestone" makes national news as it continues to burn, smolder, and pollute until May 1985...."

[mstateglfr]

I don't remember the last time I put something from a bike into my recycling bin.
...like genuinely can't remember. And I recycle a ton inside the house.

The only thing I recycle for bikes are the cardboard boxes that bikes stuff comes in.

[Seramount]

I've reused a fair number of tubes that were no longer patchable...

they work nicely as regulator hose tie-downs for my cave diving rigs.

the ones dive shops sell are stupid expensive and don't last nearly as long.

[pwgoode]

My LBS takes tubes and tires for recycling. You have to pay $1 I think for the tires. I believe they take them to a auto tire shop where they get lumped with the car tires for recycling.

For metal items, they can go to scrap metal recycling operations. One of the municipalities near me has regular electronics recycling events and they've started taking scrap metal as well. Pretty convenient.

[Turkle]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

Recycling programs in the US are nebulous at best.

I've read statistics that are all over the board with regard to what can and does actually get recycled vs what gets put in the recycling bin. I think it makes everyone feel better to put their apparently recyclable items in the dedicated bin, but I'm not so sure how much of it ever gets actually reused again.

With bike stuff, and consumer goods in general, one of the biggest wastes, IMO, is the packaging. Bike companies actually seem to be getting better at this, but there is still a ton of packaging that comes with new parts.

I think all of that pales in comparison to the carbon footprint load of manufacturing the goods and shipping them.

Sometimes it is just heartbreaking. I recently bought 3 pairs of gloves from Handup. Each pair of gloves arrived in its own thick plastic ziplock bag - and all 3 were encased in yet another, larger, thick plastic bag - inside of a sturdy cardboard box! Folks, you could have just thrown 3 loose pairs of gloves into an envelope and mailed them to me, and it would have been fine!

I just get unbelievably depressed by throwing out plastic 1-use packaging. It did its job once, and now we throw it in a hole where it will remain until the sun explodes or the heat death of the universe.

[cgolvin]

Originally Posted by pwgoode

For metal items, they can go to scrap metal recycling operations. One of the municipalities near me has regular electronics recycling events and they've started taking scrap metal as well. Pretty convenient.

Glad to hear this, will have to check whether the local e-recycling location also takes metal scrap. I have a bunch of old chains that I'd be happy to know are being re-used.

AFAIK, the only things my LBS will recycle are old CO2 canisters.

[Seramount]

the tire shop I use won't accept bike tires, not sure why...guess I could ask around if others will take them.

oh, and steel CO2 canisters are recyclable, I just toss em in my curbside bin.