FRONTLINE BIKES CIRCULAR ECONOMY APPROACH
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A circular economy system is one where we use less new raw materials, make longer lasting products, and repair products to make them last even longer, before we dispose of or recycle them.
This is in opposition to the linear economy system, which is a ‘take, make, use and dispose’ system where vast amounts of natural resources are extracted to manufacture products that are often discarded and disposed of in a land fill after a single use.
WHAT IS A CIRCULAR ECONOMY?
A circular economy system is one where we use less new raw materials, make longer lasting products, and repair products to make them last even longer, before we dispose of or recycle them.
This is in opposition to the linear economy system, which is a ‘take, make, use and dispose’ system where vast amounts of natural resources are extracted to manufacture products that are often discarded and disposed of in a land fill after a single use.
In nature nothing goes to waste – everything is a resource that can be used, and you could say that the circular economy model is inspired by this.
BENEFITS OF A CIRCULAR ECONOMY
There are many benefits to a circular economy, and these include:
- The reuse of and recycling of products can slow down the use of non-renewable resources and protect the environment.
- A circular economy supports individuals who are trying to maintain a sustainable lifestyle, reducing their environmental impact and lowering household costs by repairing rather than replacing products.
- There are also social and business benefits where jobs and opportunities are created in the recycling and upcycling field, which is the area that Frontline Bikes social enterprise operates in.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY APPROACH
With our circular economy approach, Frontline Bikes offer an alternative to the dominant 'take-make-waste' linear model - we (a) collect discarded and unused bicycles and upcycle them and their components, giving these materials a new lease on life and diverting waste from landfills, and (b) provide a repair service for bikes in our bike shop.
15 MILLION BIKES END UP IN LANDFILL EACH YEAR WORLDWIDE
Frontline takes in donations of old, unused and discarded bikes. These bikes are then assessed to see how usable and salvageable the bike and its parts are:
- Salvageable bikes are used in our bike mechanics training programme and are serviced, repaired and upcycled for sale in the shop, using upcycled parts where possible.
- Unsalvageable bikes are stripped back so that any components that can be reused are saved.
- Unusable components are recycled, such as the rubber from old tires which is repurposed in playground matting.
The bikes that Frontline Bikes sell in our shop in Inchicore and online are 100% donated bikes that may otherwise have ended up as landfill and our reuse and recycling process keeps end waste at an absolute minimum.
