Environmentalism

[Oh Canada]

Just watching the Criterium du Dauphine and in a 200m span I've seen 18 bottles get tossed aside. I know this is very common but they're doing it where there are no spectators.

Are these bottles biodegradable?

This is a huge environmental concern if all of this plastic is degrading on beautiful roads all over the world.

Just thought some of you may have some insight into this.

 

[Michele]

I know that Elite produced last year a biodegradable bottle but donno if it has been supplied to teams etc.

 

[lancaster]

i know that it doesn't look good but.....

drive past tonight and good luck finding a single bottle

 

[Archibald]

Are these bottles biodegradable?

I know that Elite produced last year a biodegradable bottle but donno if it has been supplied to teams etc.

I was given two FDJ bidons when I bumped into their team going for their spin the day after RvV this year. Elite brand and "100% biodegradable" printed on them.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Both Elite and tacx do so by my knowing, and Tacx supplies like 70% of the pro peloton with bidons

 

[Arnout]

Riders are also issued to only throw them away when there are spectators on the side of the road.

 

[LugHugger]

Riders are also issued to only throw them away when there are spectators on the side of the road.

This is utter rubbish, if you'll excuse the pun

There is a clean up crew which follows after each stage. Most bottles are retrieved and recycled if they fall within 5-10 meters from the roadside.

 

[Oh Canada]

Good to know..it's always been on my mind.

Thanks to all for the responses.

 

[Granville57]

There was a Velonews article about this topic from last year.
http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/04/news/discarded-water-bottles-an-environmental-issue_113360

Britain’s Chris Froome is among a trio of riders targeted by an environmental group ─ for throwing empty water bottles into the Belgian countryside during the recent edition of Flèche-Wallonne.

Prior to the race several environmental groups from Walloon appealed the Belgian cycling federation to change the rules by introducing sanctions for riders found discarding rubbish by the roadside.

 

[Matteo]

Riders are also issued to only throw them away when there are spectators on the side of the road.

Most riders clearly don't bother with this, I saw about 5 bidons go straight into the River Rhone today. Apart from creating litter they are also endangering their fellow pro's. You often see bidons carelessly thrown to the side of the road only to hit the kerb and bounce straight back into the peloton. A few weeks ago I saw one rider in the peloton on the left of the road throw his bidon overhead to the right of the road. It didn't clear the peloton and came down on the head of another rider! It won't be long before a serious accident is caused.
It's only in the last couple of years that it has got so bad. Why do they all need to throw the bidons away in the last few km anyway? What difference does the weight of an empty bidon make? Now the so called 'pro's' in the UK Tour Series are copying them and throwing theirs all over the place, in a 1 hour crit .