Equipment Recycling (only), including parts.

[ElChingon]

This is something I've questioned at times, especially when there's a stack of tubes or chains in the garage trash bins (don't empty them that often).

Read this story and felt we need to discuss it if only a bit, you know lowering our Carbon footprint and hopefully getting some cash back, maybe a few pennies.

Story of Interest as a start, but not the only recyclable item:

Specialized calls on companies in bike industry to recycle carbon frames

 

[DirtyWorks]

Slightly OT, I am a big electronics recycling promoter. People just don't understand how many really bad things (like heavy metals) are in their electronics and how much of it can be reused and the widespread consequences of introducing even a little bit of something like cadmium from rechargeable batteries into the environment.

The carbon recycling program is a net good because unlike alloys, it's very complicated to be confident in the integrity of a carbon frame after a crash. It would be a difficult project to get the carbon back to the right recycler, but the absolutely the right thing to do.

Specialized is claiming THOUSANDS of these frames are being broken. That's a really big number considering the prices of most of the carbon product. Do these people just keep spending the money?

 

[ramjambunath]

If Specialized follow up their rhetoric with action, then good on them, it really deserves some mention. I'm not a great follower of my carbon footprint (it won't be great as i don't have any heating or cooling things here or cars) and I've never used a carbon frame but I never throw away mechanical parts of the bicycle, mainly because I'm a cheap b*****d. One advantage here is while bicycle repairing isn't of the best quality, it's dirt cheap and they look to save any penny possible and it'll most end up being sold as scrap metal if it's beyond repair.

On the topic of electronic recycling, it's something I'd strongly recommend recycling and even more importantly abstaining from buying every latest gizmo in the market. It contains some seriously toxic metals as pointed out by DirtyWorks but my biggest reason would be that it contains the mineral coltan which is illegally mined in Eastern Congo.

http://www.un.int/drcongo/war/coltan.htm

A very good documentary regarding coltan mining in Eastern Congo
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4473700036349997790

 

[Parera]

Here in Oregon it's illegal to dump most gizmos (including computers and televisions). You HAVE to recycle them or you will get fined. I wish people had the sense that no, dumping your fried laptop into the bin is OK but some people are ignorant.

As an aside, I tried for about a month to recycle the carbon Fuji that was wrecked when I was struck by a car, could literally not find a place. Bike shop finally told me to just chuck it in their dumpster...made me feel guilty.

 

[ElChingon]

So no one recycles anything? Is this a cycling forum or a car forum?

 

[ramjambunath]

So no one recycles anything? Is this a cycling forum or a car forum?

I've only had 3 bikes ($100-200). Never broke the frame and the broken mechanical links like the chain, I get repaired not replaced. The bikes that I have replaced- 1 because it was way too old and was sold to a man who makes bikes from old frames and the other was stolen.

So in answer to your question, not recycled per se but never wasted anything (even the tyres get reused).

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Here in Oregon it's illegal to dump most gizmos (including computers and televisions). You HAVE to recycle them or you will get fined. I wish people had the sense that no, dumping your fried laptop into the bin is OK but some people are ignorant.

As an aside, I tried for about a month to recycle the carbon Fuji that was wrecked when I was struck by a car, could literally not find a place. Bike shop finally told me to just chuck it in their dumpster...made me feel guilty.

Do you have to pay to recycle electronic gizmos? Or is it free?

Here you must pay, so many go into the dumpster(no fines).

How do you 'recycle' a carbon frame. Is it smashed/shredded...the resulting carbon 'stuff' added to glue and back into a mold?

 

[Parera]

Do you have to pay to recycle electronic gizmos? Or is it free?

Here you must pay, so many go into the dumpster(no fines).

How do you 'recycle' a carbon frame. Is it smashed/shredded...the resulting carbon 'stuff' added to glue and back into a mold?

TVs/PCs/Laptops are free (2 per month limit I think) other electronic stuff carries a small fee. Most cell phone retailers will take old phones. SOME video game retailers have free electronics recycling too.

For Carbon Fiber, one process:

MIT-RCF's recycling process starts with the waste material being cut into one-inch squares. Those squares are then subjected to pyrolysis, a process in which the carbon fiber is heated in an almost oxygen-free environment, burning away its resin content and freeing up the fibers. Those fibers can then be combined with new resin, to form "chopped fiber composites." While they don't offer the same strength or stiffness as virgin carbon fiber, MIT-RCF will be using the chopped fibers in reinforced thermoplastic applications where such qualities aren't crucial.

Not only does the process divert waste carbon fiber from the trash heap, but it's also said to be very energy-efficient. "It actually takes 96 percent less energy to reclaim a carbon fiber than it does to build a new virgin fiber," Materials Innovation Technologies president Jim Stike told us.

The company is looking into automotive, aerospace, medical, and recreational applications for the technology.

via http://www.gizmag.com/trek-begins-carbon-fiber-recycling-program/18493/

Maybe they can make "recycled" carbon fiber bottle cages? Would be cool.