60th Anniversary: igus Sends Recycling Bike on 6,000-Kilometer Tour
The starting signal has been given, and the igus:bike has recently embarked on a world tour. On the occasion of igus's 60th anniversary, the innovative, orange-glowing bicycle made from recycled plastic will travel the world for an entire year. The goal: to introduce industrial partners, media representatives, and consumers to a new form of urban mobility that combines fun and sustainability. The Urban Bike stands for many advantages of igus products, the "motion plastics": it doesn't rust, needs no oil, and is nearly maintenance-free. Bearings, drive, and freewheel also require no lubrication, as they are made from high-performance plastics. At the same time, the igus:bike exemplarily demonstrates how the transformation to a future-proof circular economy of plastics can succeed. Under the name RCYL, the recycling bike has already gone into mass production and can be ordered for around 1,243 euros on the website.
Starting Signal in Cologne
The igus factory premises in Cologne Porz-Lind, Tuesday morning, 11 a.m. In front of igus employees and press representatives, the igus:bike starts the birthday tour. For a year, the plastic bicycle will be seen on the streets of 16 countries around the world – including Germany, Italy, the USA, and China. The mission: to show industrial customers, recycling partners, media representatives, and consumers that plastics don't have to end up in incineration or landfills but can help shape the mobility of tomorrow as recycled raw materials. In stages, the igus:bike visits various customer applications and partners. With this worldwide tour, the motion plastics specialist once again shows its pioneering spirit and makes igus and customer stories come to life on every stage.
Fishing Nets to Bicycles
"As a company that has been manufacturing industrial components for motion made of plastic for 60 years, we see it as our duty to drive the transformation to a sustainable circular economy of plastics. The igus:bike is a milestone on this path," says igus CEO Frank Blase. "We hope to inspire many companies and end consumers on this journey, to also commit to sustainable solutions in dealing with plastics."
Plastic waste from landfills around the world could potentially become the raw material for the igus:bike in the future. igus manufactures the individual components using rotational and injection molding processes—from the frame, through the bearings to the drivetrain. The material researchers have succeeded in gradually increasing the share of blended recycled plastic to 50 percent since the start of development—and the trend is rising. This makes it possible to process discarded fishing nets, as well as shampoo bottles and other plastic waste into regranulate for rotational molding machines, transforming them into a valuable resource.
Driving pleasure and easy maintenance should be combined
Interested parties can see on the igus:bike world tour that a bicycle made of plastic offers driving pleasure and at the same time is particularly easy to maintain. Since the bicycle is almost entirely made of plastic, it is weather-resistant and corrosion-free. For example, it is no problem to spray down the bicycle with a garden hose or to leave it outside overnight - not only in front of your own door, but also at campsites, ports, festivals, and company premises. In addition, the high-performance plastics enable low-friction dry running without additional lubricants, which often become dirt magnets in classic bicycles. Thus, laborious re-lubrication and cleaning are also eliminated. And riding comfort is also guaranteed. The material also provides suspension with its damping properties. Thus, the bicycle embodies many advantages of igus motion plastics, which can be experienced by everyone as part of the world tour.
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