UK firm Velorim, which deals in bicycle tyres and inner tube recycling, is establishing “a national network of collection points to recover bicycle tyres and tubes,” according to Director Richard Lawrence. There will be collection points at retailers and bike shops throughout the UK as part of the initiative.
“We advise the shops to charge 50p (US$0.63) per tyre and 20p (US$0.25) per tube collected. There has been a mixed response, but most are keen to join the network. Some will show a recycling fee, some will just absorb it into their process. We are not concerned how they deal with the fees.
“We will collect on an agreed basis, either weekly, monthly, or even on an ad-hoc basis. Velorim will charge £90 (US$113.80) per bag of bicycle tyres and £20 (US$25.29) per bag of tubes – they must be kept separate,” Lawrence said.
Velorim claims that the UK currently has somewhere around 30.5M bicycle tyres and 152.5M butyl inner tubes, most of which end up in landfill.Velorim hopes to be in a position to meet future cycling needs as bicycle tyres are being considered for an EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) scheme.
“Bicycle tyres are recognised as an environmental issue in the latest Environmental White Paper, and the government is looking at introducing EPR schemes across a range of waste sectors. We plan to be prepared to meet the need to recycle bicycle tyres and be in a position to play a part in any future EPR scheme.”