How green is your carbon bike? And why your next one could be made from recycled carbon fibre

It's light, it's strong, it offers ultra-tunable performance… what's not to like about carbon fibre? We take a look at the dark side of carbon and the steps being taken to mitigate itCarbon fibre is widely used in many industries due to its strength, light weight and resistance to stress and corrosion, but its durability means that once it's no longer needed, the material can remain without decomposing for a long time, so how green is your bike? We're talking about its...

As well as its widespread use in the cycling world, carbon fibre is used in various other industries, including aerospace, automotive, energy and marine. According toin 2021 the sports industry was the third largest user of carbon fibre worldwide, with most sports equipment using the material having an average lifespan of three years, and 90 per cent ending up in landfill at the end of its life.

Most high-performance carbon bikes are made using thermoset carbon fibre composites, materials that, according to Giant, can only be recycled through pyrolysis or chemical methods.Pyrolysis means subjecting carbon fibre composites to high temperatures in the absence of oxygen. At these temperatures, the resin matrix of the composite breaks down, leaving behind the carbon fibres.

Brands now publish annual CSR reports detailing their sustainability efforts, and with an increasing emphasis on environmental regulations and sustainability goals, recycling carbon fibre has become a focal point for many companies striving to contribute to a greener future. "Currently, most carbon fibre products are recycled through pyrolysis process into injection pellets with extremely short fibre," explains Giant."It is both highly energy-intensive and leads to huge performance reduction."

"We don't see the bikes at the end of life, so we don't have any control over what the owner does with the frame," Giant states.Is recycled carbon fibre as good as virgin carbon fibre? While aerospace industries may lead in these developments initially, the bike industry could follow suit and both Giant and Hunt are optimistic about the potential for carbon fibre being recycled indefinitely in the future.

Brands are increasingly prioritising sustainability and industry experts like Hunt and Giant are optimistic about overcoming the challenges in the recycling processes of carbon fibre and offer hope for the indefinite recycling of carbon fibre.

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