Extreme Recycling

[BrumJim]

Being particularly green (or just suffering from OCD), I make sure that my cycling carbon footprint is as low as possible. With the exception of trying to go as fast as possible, doing Sportives and Audaxes, and buying bikes made in China, but please ignore these discrepancies.

Hence, having a puncture this morning, instead of binning the inner tube, I will patch it with a bit from an unrepairable inner tube rather than buying extra patches. Additionally, the rusty staple that caused the failure will be chucked into the recycling bin, or donated to the next scrap van to come past. The air that was in the tube has already been recycled, probably into a car engine, but unfortunately I cannot control that.

When I clean my bike frame (with eco-cleaner), I always wash out the cloth with rain water, let it evaporate, and dig the brown residue back into the garden. However I'm not too sure what to do with the black crud and slime on my bike chain and sprockets. It contains the veg oil I use for lubrication, but what else? I've been collecting the stuff for a couple of years now, and almost have a full mug. Should I take it down to the oil recycling centre at the tip (not fluid enough?), dig it into the garden (black stuff is probably not organic), or try to make diesel out of it (any hydrocarbons left?). I've thought about re-filling black markers with it, as the stuff stains my fingers for days, but don't know enough chemistry to do this.

Any thoughts or help please? I'm worried that I'm not as green as I thought I was, and might get tempted to take a plane to a foreign country soon.

 

[EltonFrog]

You probably used more energy typing this post then you would save recycling gunk.

 

[classic33]

Plastic bottle and pour your mug full into it.

Cut the bottom of the bottle of and turn upside down. All the heavy stuff will settle in the narrower neck.

 

[confusedcyclist]

Sorry to burst your (eco) bubble but bicycles are not really green. They are (mostly) manufactured in industrial factories, using energy intensive processes which require large supply chains, infrastructure, human labour and energy systems, 99% of which is dependent on fossil fuels and other non-renewable resources. Final products and components are shipped and distributed great distances around the planet, ultimately contributing to exploitation of Gaia and destroying her landscapes. The amount of energy that is invested into producing one bicycle and getting it to the customer, and then all the consumables that keep them running smoothly will never be as efficient as just using it to fuel you. Of course, you can't eat oil.

If you want to go green, you better start walking, barefoot of course. That said, they are fun to ride. And cycling beats driving short distances hands down. Definitely a case of lesser of two evils.

 

[BrumJim]

Just been downstairs, and I can confirm that my Ridgeback Voyager is indeed green. Cannot confirm the colour of my other bicycle, but from memory, it is grey.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Hence, having a puncture this morning, instead of binning the inner tube, I will patch it with a bit from an unrepairable inner tube rather than buying extra patches.

I would not rely on a tube patched thus. It might hold, but would you wish to rely on it, in the spirit of greenery.

 

[confusedcyclist]

I would not rely on a tube patched thus. It might hold, but would you wish to rely on it, in the spirit of greenery.

You make it sound like failure of the tube is a catastrophic event. Always carry a spare, and puncture repair kit and you will get home eventually. If your tube doesn't have a perfect seal, simply try again!

 

[Lee_M]

I've recently increased my carbon footprint by buying a second carbon bike :-D

 

[Ajax Bay]

Being particularly green . . . Hence, having a puncture this morning, instead of binning the inner tube, I will patch it with a bit from an unrepairable inner tube rather than buying extra patches.

I said: "I would not rely on a tube patched thus. It might hold, but would you wish to rely on it?"

You make it sound like failure of the tube is a catastrophic event. Always carry a spare, and puncture repair kit and you will get home eventually. If your tube doesn't have a perfect seal, simply try again!

No, failure of a tube is just that, and requires a quick replacement on the road. I'd like to 'rely' on that spare: I carry one (2 if going more than 120km) as well as patches etc. I'm just saying that gluing a piece of old inner tube on as a patch compared to using a 'normal' patch is not really a risk worth taking, in the scheme of things. And for minimal 'green' benefit.
Now putting a flat toroid cut from a discarded (ie not repairable further) inner tube round the valve of a functioning inner tube to reinforce that area of potential vulnerability is a good use of an inner tube that's done its time. I hope that would tick @BrumJim 's green box.

 

[BrumJim]

I think people are taking me far, far, far too seriously.

 

[confusedcyclist]

Never joke about penny pinching. It's serious business.

@Ajax Bay , ah I see we are talking about different things, I'm not talking about roadside repairs, I'd happily use an old bit of tube at home if I can check the seal before I roll the tube up and pack it away for the next time it's needed. I always carry two tubes, because Murphy's law dictates your replacement tube will one day get punctured too. For the minimal weight penalty of a second tube, it's not worth the hassle of not carrying one.