March 31, 2023 3 Bike Industry Sustainability Take-Aways

For the first time since the pandemic, the international bicycle industry has just concluded its Taipei Cycle Show in Taiwan. Suston correspondent Werner Müller-Schell reports with three important sustainability trends and achievements.

With an export volume of more than one million e-bikes and roughly two million conventional bicycles, Taiwan is one of the most important bicycle export countries in the world. Therefore, the annually held Taipei Cycle Show is one of the most important trade fairs for the bicycle industry. This year, eyes were particularly focused on the East Asian fair as this exhibition welcomed the return of international buyers for the first time since the pandemic. In total, more than 20,000 people attended the show to find out about the newest trends in the bike industry. Not least on the topic of sustainability, as many companies at the show highlighted their commitment to more climate and environmental protection.

Below, we have summarized the three biggest sustainability trends in this context.

1. From tires to batteries – more sustainable products

Many companies presented more sustainable products or at least product ideas that could make the bicycle industry more sustainable in the future. An example is the French repairable battery manufacturer Gouach which picked up a Green Design Award for the idea to create a system that can use those old battery cells and easily replace them – a big issue in the increasingly e-bike dominated bicycle world. Another example was Taiwanese tire producer Maxxis, which presented its SeawasteX programme, where old fishing nets are fished from the sea and processed into nylon threads, which in turn are used for tire production.

2. Bicycle life cycle analysis

How many kilograms of CO2 does a bicycle produce? This question was answered by Taiwanese manufacturer Giant Bicycles, which performed a complete life cycle analysis of its MTB model “Stance 291,” finding that the bike causes a carbon footprint of 159 kg CO2 over its lifespan. The breakdown of where these emissions came from was illuminating: The largest share (108.7 kilograms of CO2) is generated by the procurement of raw materials. This is followed by production (32.7 kilograms of CO2), the use phase (15.4 kilograms of CO2), distribution (1.7 kilograms of CO2) and recycling (0.5 kilograms of CO2). According to those responsible at the Giant stand, the analysis is to be used as a basis for saving an impressive 40 kilograms of CO2 per bicycle produced by 2030.

3. The industry is ready to take action

The good news: These initiatives were not individual cases. The general vibe at Tapei Cycle Show 2023 was that the bicycle industry is ready to take action. During the exhibition, the World Bicycle Industry Association (WBIA) also released the Bicycle Sustainable Supply Chain Principles, which suggests that to obtain maximum environmental benefits, the bicycle industry as a whole must adjust its supply chain and production processes. The WBIA also promoted industry recognition and communication through member leaders sharing best practices in clean energy, carbon reduction, environmentally friendly design, and materials.

Taipei Cycle Show in Taiwan.

Photos: Werner Müller-Schell