The city of Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, is launching an interesting initiative to help residents recycle bulky waste more easily. It involves renting a cargo bike to transport this waste to dedicated recycling centers.
The Netherlands has long been known for being a bicycle-friendly country, and Rotterdam is already giving pride of place to cyclists in the city. Now, residents of certain areas can reserve a cargo bike to help them get rid of bulky waste. Currently in a trial phase, this solution is intended to be deployed throughout the city by 2023.
The idea is simple. Basically, residents can borrow a cargo bike as a pollution-free way to transport bulky or garden waste to the nearest recycling center.
This initiative aims to encourage residents to bring more items to the dedicated facilities in order to recycle, rather than incinerate, as much waste as possible. Sofas, wardrobes, washing machines, vacuum cleaners and other household appliances are all examples of waste that could be transported to a recycling center using these cargo bikes. Residents can then deposit their waste in dedicated bins in order to recycle it, where possible.
Note that the rental of these bikes is free during the trial period, which runs until the end of October 2022, and that this service is currently only open to individuals. Trailers are also available for car owners wanting to transport waste to recycling centers.
