Pedal power: sustainable mobility made from recycled aluminium
Around 80% of metal ever produced is still in use. As a permanent material, metal recycles forever without loss of quality; as you may know, it takes just 60 days to recycle a used aluminium drink can and get it back on the shelf!
However, it is not just drink cans that can be made with recycled metal packaging. Your metal packaging can be recycled into any number of different things, including sustainable forms of transport like bikes or electric cars.
Vélosophy, a Swedish bicycle and lifestyle brand, is a great example of this. They have been making bikes from recycled aluminium since early 2016, when the company was founded. More recently, they teamed up with Nespresso to create RE:CYCLE, a stylish bike made from recycled aluminium coffee capsules.
For Vélosophy’s Founder, Jimmy Östholm, the collaboration aims to “bring to life the potential of recycling”. Not only does metal retain its quality no matter how many times it is recycled but producing new products from recycled metal saves raw materials, requires less energy and produces less CO2 emissions. By creating a beautiful, high-quality and stylish product out of recycled metal packaging, Vélosophy demonstrate that it is perfectly possible to create luxury products that have a positive impact on the environment.
Östholm describes the RE:CYCLE bike as “an instant icon of circular economy design”. It is a striking example of how doing something as simple as recycling metal packaging can help make a big difference to the world we live in. Not only does the RE:CYCLE project give new life to used metal packaging, but it turns it into an environmentally friendly mode of transport.
In a world in which there is increasing recognition of the need to choose sustainable modes of transport for getting around towns and cities, stylish, sustainable mobility solutions made from recycled metal provide the perfect solution. And what better time to celebrate initiatives such as these than this year’s European Mobility Week?
Taking place across Europe from 16-22 September 2020, Mobility Week aims to improve public health and quality of life through the promotion of clean mobility and sustainable urban transport.
This year, in line with the EU’s ambitious aim to be carbon-neutral by 2050, the focus is on promoting zero-emission mobility for all. It’s the perfect opportunity to test out more sustainable modes of transport or, even better, to try out a bike made from recycled metal packaging!