INTERVIEW
factors currently influence collection schedules and turnaround times for cage or bag pickups, and how are you working to streamline these logistics as the volumes of returned rubber increase nationwide? Collections are driven by the client and purely ad-hoc; the shop contacts us when they need a collection, and this is then normally collected within two weeks. We also replace the containers. Managing the increase is simply handling the logistics, which is something we will probably pull in-house in the longer term.
A key point of interest for both dealers and consumers is understanding what happens after the rubber leaves the shop floor. Could you talk us through the reprocessing journey? Do you have figures in terms of total volume recycled or examples showing where these reprocessed materials end up in second-life applications? When we receive the tyres at our stores, they are currently shredded in our bespoke shredder to 15 mm. This pulls out the steel, and we end up with strips of rubber. Currently, these are either used for equestrian eventing or, as an alternative, we are developing a MTB trail repair material to replace concrete. This will be done by suspending the shred in a polyurethane; this will be better than concrete, as it is flexible and more weatherproof. From there, we are looking at granulating to .85mm and this can actually be used straight back into manufacturing. The tubes are currently cleaned (patches and valves off) and then sent over to a partner in Holland, where they go straight into manufacturing. Again, we will eventually pull this in-house.
In 2023, you expanded beyond rubber waste to handle end- of-life Li-ion e-bike batteries. How does this service operate from start to finish for participating retailers, and what safety or compliance procedures are involved when storing and transporting these packs? The Li-ion collections service is offered to all our stores; if they sign up, they are sent a UN-certified container filled with a fire suppressant material. The stores will put their end- of-life batteries in this (which also acts as a fire safe for the store), and the process is that, when the barrel is full (up to 10 batteries), we will collect it. We do not process this; they go to a specialist Li-Ion
battery processor we work with. The collection, storage and processing are fully compliant with all current legislation.
As the number of e-bikes, cargo fleets, and light electric vehicles (LEVs) on UK roads grows rapidly, addressing battery end-of-life is becoming a critical sustainability conversation. From your perspective across the recycling sector, how important is it for the cycling industry to establish scalable battery recovery routes now, and how do you see cross-industry partnerships evolving to handle
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larger commercial packs or emerging battery chemistries in the future? Well, we do consider that Li-ion batteries are going to become an issue. We already have a collection network in place and feel that we are ahead of the game! We would encourage the cycling industry to use what is already there. Don’t reinvent the wheel!
There has been ongoing discussion around bringing bicycle rubber under stricter waste regulations and banning scrap tyres from UK landfills. From your perspective, where does the cycle trade currently stand regarding government regulations and DEFRA engagement, and how prepared is the industry for potential legislative shifts? Theoretically, the dumping of tyres is already banned; the legislation is in place to do so; enforcement, however, is particularly difficult. The trade is not really doing anything. The Bicycle Association seem to be having issues trying to sort something out, and they seem to be ignoring that we already have a workable and proven system in place; these are the people, along with the ACT, that should be promoting this as hard as they can. We understand that Halfords are trying something on their
own (although this is gossip and we have no proof either way), even though we have the system in place already. We feel that the industry should push for recycling (not just tyres
Van of tyres
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