durability and recycling
Why aren’t more manufacturers recycling carbon frames? Can it be done? Yes, it can, but as always there are a lot of buts. Let us share our experience.
Carbon fiber is a composite material, which means that inherently it is harder to recycle because there are carbon fibers embedded into resin.
That means you would need to remove the resin without damaging the fibers. In such a way you can use both materials again.
Obviously before ending up at recycling, we like to focus on durability: build strong frames that will last very long.
latest developments
Very often, carbon parts end up in a shredder, to make the process of separation easier. The material cannot be used to build new bike frames. Instead it is used to make strong and durable public transport seats or brake handles.
This is obviously not exactly the type of recycling you have in mind. In the sense that new bike frames can be made from old material. Still the carbon material is not lost and will get a new useful function.
Luckily new developments happen very quickly. For instance, Hitachi Chemicals have some interesting developments where they are able to use pyrolysis processes to recycle carbon fibres without shredding them, keeping the long fibres intact. This means that new high-quality prepreg material can be made to build bike frames again.
our experience
Actually, in our first production batch of the Kodiak, we used 7% recycled carbon. We bought this high-end material directly from the automotive industry in Germany. This material has about the same weight of normal prepreg material at about 90% of the stiffness. So, the material is great and can be mixed with virgin material to create high quality bike frames.
Only in terms of logistics this was not such a good option. We had to transport the prepreg rolls in dry-ice cooled containers from Germany to Asia. That sounds a bit less sustainable.
Most of our production steps are carried out in the EU. We actually add around 55-65% of the production value in the European Union, but for now our carbon parts are made in Taiwan and China, so we had to reevaluate the use of recycled carbon prepreg.
When we move our carbon production to Europe, we will definitely use the recycled carbon material again.
durability
Recycling is of course the real end of the cycle. It is the only option in case of a big crash or when the frame is irreparable. Before that endpoint we like to focus on durability. Ride the bikes for as long as possible, passing it on to other riders or to the next generation.
If during this time something happens, then in many cases the carbon can be repaired. And if for some reason one of our riders cannot use his or her bike anymore, then we have a buyback program. If the bike is relatively young and undamaged, then we buy the bike back and see if we can find a new rider for the bike.
recycling
Finally, we also like to help with recycling. We are in contact with a carbon recycling factory. If one of our riders had a crash and damaged the frame beyond repair, the frame can be sent to us and we will recycle it.
At some point we hope to use recycled carbon prepreg again in our bike frames, especially if carbon production is back in Europe. We believe that the weight to stiffness ratio of the recycled material will get better and better over time, which means we can use more and more recycled material in our frames.