Environmentally friendly聽products have been growing in popularity as more companies try to do their part to protect聽our planet鈥檚 health. One significant issue is the overabundance of plastics and other waste materials that won鈥檛 break down naturally. Why not just recycle the material into something more useful?
Entrepreneur Alberto Gonzalez has developed the聽Urban GC1, the first bike to be made almost entirely of recycled paper and plastics.聽Riding a bike made mostly of kraft paper sounds scary, but this waterproof bicycle is more sturdy than you would think.
The Urban GC1 is 聽made up of聽paper, metal, rubber, plastic, and polystyrene that has all been recycled.聽Kraft paper makes up the bulk of the structure, but it鈥檚 not as flimsy as it sounds. The paper is pressed and compacted into individual panels that have been built to withstand a great amount of force. By combining hundreds of these panels together and聽adding a simple coat of recycled polystyrene paint, this paper bike is completely waterproof and ready to handle any commute.
Another added benefit of the bike鈥檚 design areis its wheels. With the Urban GC1, getting a flat tire is impossible since the tires do not use air. The wheels use a combination of rubber, recycled plastic, and more paper panels to create the right shape and feel of a standard tire. Vibrations are absorbed into the materials, offering a smooth ride without the need of air.
Beyond the bicycle, even the packaging has been designed to be reusable. To avoid generating trash, each new Urban GC1 comes with instructions to transform the packaging into something useful. Not only do you get the satisfaction of riding a bicycle made out of paper, but a bag or laptop case as well.
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