Trek’s updated bike packaging saves 433,000 pounds of plastic

Good News Notes:

“Trek Bicycle announced its first-year results from incorporating lower-impact and recyclable materials in its bike packaging. Targeting plastic waste, Trek said it removed 433,600 pounds of plastic from bike boxes and Bontrager accessory packaging.

The goal is to make all bike boxes from Trek, Electra, and Diamant 100% recyclable and all packaging plastic-free by 2024.

“Wow! That is really exciting,” said Bryant Bainbridge, former Specialized Bicycle Components director of corporate responsibility who holds a degree in environmental studies and first worked as a wildlife biologist. “Hats off to Trek for taking this important step.”

Trek focused on converting plastic packaging to paper-based alternatives, Chris van der Linden, Trek product designer, told BRAIN.

“Paper and cardboard were already present in older packaging iterations but are now our first-choice materials in Trek’s packaging,” van der Linden said. “Furthermore, consumer-facing packaging has completely eliminated plastic laminates from their cardboard packaging, which makes recycling our packaging even easier for customers.”

Last year, Trek joined the Responsible Packaging Movement. The fashion brand Prana launched the movement early in August 2020, and other brands who joined include GSI Outdoors, Merrell, and LifeStraw. Last year, Specialized and VAAST, among others, announced more sustainable bike packaging. Cannondale also announced it is adopting 100% recyclable packaging in Europe.

Trek President John Burke “is really committed and leading the charge for a more sustainable bike company,” van der Linden said. “The empowerment of the various departments and teams within Trek to reimagine their sustainability efforts has fueled this reevaluation.”

Trek released specific numbers from its bike box sustainability efforts. It removed:

  • 246,000 pounds from Marlin, Verve, and other entry-level adult bikes.
  • 58,000 pounds from kid’s bikes (including Kickster, Precaliber).
  • 40,000 pounds from Madone, Supercaliber, and other high-level adult bikes.
  • 12,600 pounds from Electra Townie 7 and 9.
  • 65,400 pounds from e-bikes Rail, Powerfly, Allant, and Electra Townie Go!….”

View the whole story here: https://www.bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2021/06/30/trek-announces-first-year-results-removing-plastics-bike-packaging

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