[TheThinkTank] Disposing of used simple green

[Kemmer Evans]

That's really interesting.  There is also an environmental impact involved 
in producing, packaging and transporting new chains, bearings, derailers, 
cogs and other bike parts. If using a biodegradable product results in 
premature wear it might actually be worse for the environment since amount 
of grease/oil needed to keep a bicycle in tip top shape is so small.
Kemmer

>From: Chris Wells <re-cycles at rogers.com>
>Reply-To: re-cycles at flora.org,The Think Tank 
><thethinktank at lists.bikecollectives.org>
>To: The Think Tank <thethinktank at lists.bikecollectives.org>
>Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Disposing of used simple green
>Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2007 16:20:28 -0400 (EDT)
>
>I posed your question below to our current supplier of grease (an
>eco-minded distributor that sought us out and started sending us
>supplies, got to like that :-) Here are some of his thoughts:
>
>     "The environmental damage done by bicycles and bike shops are a
>very small drop in a bucket compared to a clean truck or construction
>shop. I might add these guys in particular the construction companies
>have done enormous leaps and bounds of improvement since I started
>selling grease in 1988.  Construction guys used to dig a hole drive the
>machine over and drain the engine oil in it add the filter and dirty
>rags and bury it.  Now they get excited about fixing hydraulic oil
>leaks. The trucks have reduced smoke to the point of not seeing hardly
>any of it.
>
>     My idea on the whole bike thing is to make it as inviting and easy
>as possible for people to use bicycles.   Every time someone is riding
>a bicycle for any reason they are not using a gasoline engine.
>
>     The VIP grease I sell does not wash off (I have a sample stuck to
>the bottom of my boat for two years now).  It gets used on the chains,
>derailers and bearings in a bike.  The superior performance makes the
>ride, shift etc much better and more inviting. Keeps the derailers
>working better even if not use often.  The grease stays in the bearings
>a lot longer (forever in a bike) and provide easy peddling and
>coasting.  The chains do not rust and perform better providing better
>shifting and no rust keeps up a better appearance.  If more people ride
>more often and longer because of this I feel I have done my part for
>the environment.
>
>     Using biodegradable greases etc, you will find they wash off, do
>not lubricate well and reduce the performance of the bike and make it
>less inviting to the rider."
>
>Chris
>
>--- durham bike collective <durham_bikes at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > As far as being green, non-toxic, biodegradable etc. wherever
> > possible: is there any collective wisdom out there on a
> > non-petrolium, non super-yukko lube (and grease, for that matter)?
> > The Durham Bike Co-op's just gotten off the ground, so we've used
> > what's on hand mostly (tri-flow, park polylube), but tri-flow smells
> > something awful and I'm not thrilled about putting it into the
> > environment at all ... looking around the internet there seems to be
> > some things out there (pedro's has something out that's supposed to
> > be biodegradable, also a bunch of vegetable-based lubes designed for
> > heavier applications like chainsaws...) Anyone out there have some
> > positive experiences / knowledge to share?
> >
> > peace,
> > Colin.
> >
> > Nathan Pierce <natnc17 at yahoo.com> wrote: good point about getting
> > peeps out of cars. If all the
> > people in cars rode bikes, then we spilled all the
> > used simple green from cleaning all the more bikes, it
> > would still be less pollution than all the cars were
> > previously making.
>
>
>Chris Wells
>(Head Mechanic & Email Handler)
>
>re-Cycles Bicycle Co-op
>112 Nelson St. Ottawa
>
>Open 6pm-10pm Tuesdays, Wednesday & Thursdays
>
>info at re-cycles.ca
>http://www.re-cycles.ca/
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>thethinktank at lists.bikecollectives.org
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