How Bicycles Online is Championing Eco-Friendly Packaging
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Here at Bikes Online, we understand that the humble bicycle can leave a more significant environmental footprint than it should. We have taken the time to identify where our packaging, waste management and logistics are creating the most significant impacts.
It didn't take a genius to realize we were using mountains of cardboard throughout the company. Parts, apparel and, of course, bikes all move around the country packed up in the common material. While it is common to stamp down a box, pack it flat and throw it in a recycling bin, we have simplified the recycling process. We stared at the piles of boxes, and the answer was staring us in the face; we now just reused the boxes. All small parts and apparel will be shipped in reused boxes, saving massive amounts of waste.
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We have have done a complete overhaul of all out packaging to reduce our carbon footprint
Every day thousands of soft goods are packed into bags and sent out the door. Unfortunately, when it comes to shipping these goods, way too many plastic bags were used in the shipping. After a lot of time invested in research, we have invested in new material for our shipping bags. Our new bags are now fully compostable in a time frame as short as 90 days. The bags are primarily made from cornstarch, and once degraded, all that remains is H20 and CO2. No unfriendly chemicals will remain, just oxygen and water.
We all know that popping bubble wrap is one of the best things to do after unboxing your new parts. Unfortunately, once popped, the wrap ends up in a landfill where it stays for an unnecessarily long time. We have replaced the classic foam or bubble with a "Hex-Wrap" constructed from 100% recyclable paper or cardboard. While it may not be as fun as the classic bubble wrap, it is much better for the environment.
A new tape has been employed to hold out recycled boxes together. Made from cotton and wood pulp, the new tape breaks down 90% faster than conventional tape. The new biodegradable tape will break down into a natural fertilizer in just over 60 days. All our new "Hex-Wrap" will be held to small parts with a new biodegradable plant-based tape.
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All of our new initiatives are 100 percent biodegradable and leave no toxic residue or microplastics.
Bikes Online have gone deep with the new initiative, and even the most minor things we often don't think about have been revisited. Little things like shipping labels and zip lock bags are now fully compostable. Degrading 90% faster than previously used plastics, these new materials are entirely non-toxic. They will leave nothing but plant food once they have been thrown out.
We understand that throwing all our new biodegradable materials into plastic rubbish bags is entirely backwards. Instead of the classic black bags, we now use one hundred percent compostable rubbish bags. We can now throw all of our rubbish into the compost heap, and mother nature will take care of the rest.
KEY WORDS: Environment, Carbon footprint, Packaging, initiative, recycling, compostable, reduced waste, cutting down waste.