Igus Celebrates 60th Anniversary With Recyclable Bike

The igus:bike is made from recycled plastics. It will spend a year traveling through 16 countries, signaling a new form of urban mobility while demonstrating the success of a circular economy of plastics. Motion plastics specialist igus is using the tour to demonstrate the company’s its commitment to sustainable practices.

Igus has steadily been increasing the proportion of recycled plastic since the start of development to 50%. And the trend is rising. This capability makes it possible to process used fishing nets, shampoo bottles, and other plastic waste into regranulate for rotational-molding machines. As the igus:bike is on display during its world tour, igus’s mission is to show that plastics don't have to end up in incineration or landfill but can be used as the raw material for other products.

The igus:bike was created with recycled plastic.

Igus makes the case that sustainability has been part of the company’s ethos for decades. “As a company that has been manufacturing industrial components for movement from plastic for 60 years, we are committed to driving forward the transformation to a sustainable circular economy for plastic,” said igus CEO Frank Blasé. “The igus:bike is a milestone on this journey. On this trip, we hope to inspire many companies and end consumers to also commit to sustainable solutions when using plastics.”

Related:Sustainability’s New Friend – Plastics

Made from high-performance plastics, the igus:bike’s ball bearings, drive, and freewheel don’t require any lubrication, which can become a dirt magnet on conventional bicycles. This design also eliminates the need for time-consuming relubrication and cleaning. In addition, the bike is weather-resistant and corrosion-free, enabling riders to hose it down for cleaning or leave outside overnight.

The igus:bike has already gone into high-volume production under the name RCYL and is available for ordering on the company’s website. Learn more here.