Recycling of unusable/broken bike parts/frames

[The utility cyclist]

Was just pondering this, what does everyone do with their old bike parts when they're done, literally have no use due to wear or simply irrepairable, or things like spokes, brake pads, inner tubes etc?

Up until about 15 years ago I'd have thrown certain parts in the general waste but now anything metallic is stripped off to go in a metal waste bin i then cycle down to the tip. I've even being known to waste a silly amount of time getting the metal out of those cheap all in one brake blocks. I've even thrown the rubber pads in with the tyre recycling.

Never looked it up (but am going to do now) what happens to things like carbon fibre components, are they recyclable, do bike shops and the like just bin components off into general waste, also old tubes seem to be discarded by shops into general waste when they could have the valve removed and the rubber tossed into a separate bin.

[Cyril Haearn]

I saw a great pile of dead tyres outside a cycle shop, I guess it is worth recycling them

Metal is relatively easy to recycle

[hondated]

Was just pondering this, what does everyone do with their old bike parts when they're done, literally have no use due to wear or simply irrepairable, or things like spokes, brake pads, inner tubes etc?

Up until about 15 years ago I'd have thrown certain parts in the general waste but now anything metallic is stripped off to go in a metal waste bin i then cycle down to the tip. I've even being known to waste a silly amount of time getting the metal out of those cheap all in one brake blocks. I've even thrown the rubber pads in with the tyre recycling.

Never looked it up (but am going to do now) what happens to things like carbon fibre components, are they recyclable, do bike shops and the like just bin components off into general waste, also old tubes seem to be discarded by shops into general waste when they could have the valve removed and the rubber tossed into a separate bin.

TUC in my case they go in the garage and sporadically my wife will have a go at me for keeping so much "stuff ". When it comes to nuts bolts etc I think I am a bit OCD to not letting letting anything go.

[NUKe]

carbon fibre is plastic of the wrong kind, non recyclable, very much like fibre glass in that respect. East Germany at the point of reunification had a real problem with disposal of unwanted trabant body shells

[gbnz]

Up until about 15 years ago I'd have thrown certain parts in the general waste but now anything metallic is stripped off to go in a metal waste bin .

Think I started putting metal bike bits in a metal waste bin about 9 years ago. And while metals are collected as general recycling waste locally, I wouldn't want to risk substantial bits of metal damaging the bin wagon.

Otherwise few plastics are recycled locally, a nuisance as most containers still have to go into the general waste

[cyclop]

My old spokes have gone in the garden to discourage cats,also as permanent clips on my gable end plastic covers to string xmas lights on.Some old front hubs have been secured to roof bars as cycle carriers,bombproof and cheap.

[Cyril Haearn]

carbon fibre is plastic of the wrong kind, non recyclable, very much like fibre glass in that respect. East Germany at the point of reunification had a real problem with disposal of unwanted trabant body shells

They did find a way to recycle trabis and make park benches from the material

[Bmblbzzz]

Carbon fibre can be recycled and there is a commercial market for it:
http://www.elgcf.com
http://www.jeccomposites.com/directory/ ... -fibre-ltd
https://www.compositesworld.com/columns ... -has-come-
http://www.materialsforengineering.co.u ... re/160324/

The trouble, as with many household objects, is that it's not viable on a consumer basis. There's nowhere you can take your CF bike frame, car part or whatever to have it recycled; just as there isn't for many types of plastic containers or such everyday objects as light bulbs (of tungsten, CFL or LED sorts).

[drossall]

Was just pondering this, what does everyone do with their old bike parts when they're done, literally have no use due to wear or simply irrepairable, or things like spokes, brake pads, inner tubes etc?

I collect the metal and periodically take it along when going to the tip. Even spokes and other small parts (bit sad really). Tyres and tubes go in the bin.

At one point I was wondering whether I could make up an entire, if rather useless, bike from all the parts I had broken or worn out. Not sure why.

[rmurphy195]

Metal bits (ferrous and non-ferrous) go into my household recycling bin, up to now tubes and tyres into the normal waste 'cos I don't know what else to do with them. If I take them to my council recycling plant (along with car oil etc.) I'm told to chuck it into one of the skips along with other general waste.

[Spinners]

At one point I was wondering whether I could make up an entire, if rather useless, bike from all the parts I had broken or worn out. Not sure why.

To spray yellow and leave on the nearest roundabout when the TdF next comes to town

[The utility cyclist]

I found this, this looks like a superb use of old inner tubes and they use the valves too!
https://www.alchemygoods.com/pages/recycling
This lady recycles all sorts of parts but cottage industry level
http://www.beerbabe.co.uk/

Here's a document about tyre recycling and how bike tyres don't come under current legislation for not putting into landfill plus the lack of any organised facilities in the UK and limited worldwide.
https://www.brookes.ac.uk/eie/waste/inf ... airers.pdf

I just think that the impact of bicycle parts and lack of recycling is a bigger issue than people realise, waste costs per cycle tyre for local authorities are estimated at 15p/each if collected in bulk according to that doc. Whilst costs are added on to buying a new car tyre for disposal and 120million motorvehicle tyres a year is massively more than cycle tyres, the amount of bike related parts going into landfill is much more than it should be yet there's nothing in place to solve/alleviate the problem.

[drossall]

I'd end up with a lot of clocks though.

This is a good thread. I agree - we want ways to recycle our tyres, tubes and maybe even brake blocks. And carbon fibre, although I've nearly none of that.

Cycling is probably nowhere near as eco-friendly as we'd like to think.

[Gattonero]

Knowing people in the industry, let me tell you that on average it is difficult for shops to get rid of all the materials that can be recycled.
I guess that no one is interested in making money out of scrap alluminium and steel, but most would be happy to just have them collected for free once a month, not having to pay an additional bill on top of the one that already goes the Council for waste collection.

Most shops would not have time and vehicles to reach a Recycling center. so that stuff goes in the general waste. My opinion is that the local Councils should do more on this matter: i.e. in Enfield we now have the collection of "green stuff" every 14 days instead of weekly collection, and the Council tax has certainly not gone down

[Cyril Haearn]

Steptoe and Son used to make a good living collecting rags and the like

Where are their successors? Are material prices too low?