Aside from the massive inputs of fuel, cars are not a “sustainable” transportation source because they rely almost entirely on nonrewable materials like metals and plastics. Bikes, while powered by humans, also suffer from this issue. The aluminum, titanium, lubricants, and petroleum based synthetic rubber. However, Reuters reports that a new bicycle from Izhar Gafni uses cardboard “treated with a secret concoction made of organic materials to give it its waterproof and fireproof qualities.”
The bike has the possibility to touch all three legs of sustainability. On the economic front, the bikes are expected to sell for $20, with materials that cost $9. Access to mobility can potentially help raise millions out of poverty and provide access to food, water, and work. Gafni tells Reuters that the bikes will not have any metal parts (including the brakes, wheels, and pedals, which “will be made of recycled substances.” Furthermore, the bike will be completely recyclable. Nimrod Elmish, Gafni’s business partner, claims that the “’bikes need no maintenance and no adjustment, a car timing belt is used instead of a chain, and the tires do not need inflating and can last for 10 years.’”
NPR reports that “Gafni, believes the bike could be a boon to the world’s most traffic-congested cities and help people in remote parts of the Third World get from place to place. He’s reached a deal to start mass production in a few months.“
To learn more about the bike, how it’s made, and to see it in action, check out the video below:
[Image source]