Sweden recycles 80-100% of its bicycles; Should we?
When it comes to cleaning up the motorcycle industry, there’s more than one way to skin a cat.
Some brands choose to invest in alternative fuel choices or spend hours in the lab figuring out things like paper-based coverswhile others believe an electric future is the way to go.
Yet there is a whole chapter in a motorcycle’s “life cycle” that many countries have yet to adopt:
Recycling of scrapped motorcycles.
We don’t just mean reclaim the bike’s battery (although that effort certainly has its own merits) or bring your favorite pieces to put into a cool one-off buildleaving the rest on the scrap heap.
By recycling, we mean doing something with the whole dang cycle – and as usual, Sweden has beaten everyone to the punch.
The recycling giant has 80-100% of the scrapped motorcycle dismantled, with some components resold to customers, “While the rest is recycled according to current recycling guidelines for plastics, liquids and metal.”
According to a report from VisorDowncould the European Commission address at least some of these technologies in its upcoming end-of-life vehicle directive, should they decide to include motorcycles.
However, there is a catch; with the new directive would come stricter laws on how you can get rid of your bike – a change that SMC and FEMA are worried about can discourage people from recycling altogether.
Their suggestion for the puzzle?
Let the rider take their bike apart on their own terms…and exclude “historic motorcycles and those of value to collectors or destined for museums.”
“FEMA wants the European Commission to consider ensuring ‘that the possibility of controlled demolition in-house remains possible,’…”either by including it in the directive or by allowing member states to make their own rules and regulations for in-house demolition. ‘,” states the report.
What do you think?
What are the current recycling laws in your country, and how do you think these laws could be improved?
Hit the bass below to get the conversation started, subscribe for further updates on everything coming in the pipeline, and as always – stay safe on the twisties.