Bikes Made With Recycled Materials are Saving Tons of Plastic Every Year

This artist has spent twelve years researching how best to recycle landfill materials; and his results have already become a great help to the environment.

After twelve years of research and development, Uruguayan designer Juan Muzzi patented the world’s first bike made entirely out of recycled plastic.

Muzzi’s Sao Paulo-based company, Muzzicycle, produces 10,000 bikes per month – and the expansive waiting list is an indicator of the bike’s ever-growing popularity. According to the company’s website, the company uses almost 16 tons of wasted plastic every year, translating to well over 5 tons of CO2 emissions saved from the atmosphere.

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The bike’s construction requires 90% less energy than regular bike frames. They are also designed to be rust-resistant, more shock-absorbent, and even less jarring on the prostate and spine.

According to the designer, the next steps for Muzzicycle are increasing production capacity and developing a wheelchair with the same material. He plans to sell the wheelchairs at the same production costs to manufacture.

The company is also worried about generating income for the poorest of Brazil – currently, the plastic comes from different NGOs that collect the materials from the streets. These NGOs employ city residents – usually homeless – who make their living collecting these kind of recyclables.

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