It will be of no surprise to many of you that I am inspired both when I’m on my bike and when I am thinking about my bike. That’s a lot of inspiration. This week I have read two fascinating pieces whose subjects easily transfer from the cycling industry to ours.

Firstly, I’m going to pinch some very sensible words from a blog piece at Albion Cycling

“The most sustainable product is the one that you already own.”

The current conversation around ‘sustainability’ has a tendency to focus on the materials that garments are made from. Is it made using recycled materials, and is that recycled content generated from post-consumer content from single use plastic?

But what about durability as a measure of sustainability?

When we think about the durability of products, we’re usually assessing their strength, or their ability to work for a long time without breaking or needing to be replaced.

An item’s emotional durability should also be considered in this context.

Emotional Durability – which is how long do you continue using a product before you get tempted towards a newer version (often by a marketing message promising better technology.)

“It is known to be better (in the footprints of carbon, water, & waste terms) to have a ‘Bad Ingredient’ garment that you use for over five years, than several ‘Good Ingredient’ garments that keep needing to be replaced every couple of years, as so much goes into the manufacturing & shipping process.”

Revitalise/ Recondition (normally just giving it a proper wash); Repair/ Resize (resurrect those skills!); Reduce/ ReSell (only buying a Four Season Down Jacket if you get sub zero temperatures for months of the year; plus if you move to warmer climates: selling on performing product); Reappropriate (gear you have fallen out of love with, to a better source like the local cycling club); Relegate to a lower task (like doing the gardening in); & only then should it be Recycled!

Emotional Durability is the key to extending the life of the garment (or piece of furniture. Dom)

The Second article ran in Cycling Industry News and reports on Decathlon’s Second Life Marketplace. The scheme will aim to buy back old Decathlon bikes in exchange for money or vouchers to be spent in store. The returned bike will be repaired or refurbished and then sold to consumers via the Decathlon Marketplace. This will assist in stock difficulties and offer consumers entry into the market where price has been a barrier and encourage them not to shop elsewhere.

The link between the two articles is clear: produce well designed and durable products for which we feel an emotional attachment. This ‘value’ can be retained by the manufacturer and then be transferred to second and third users.

S&P Blog:

Emotional Durability and the Second Life Marketplace

It will be of no surprise to many of you that I am inspired both when I’m on my bike and when I am thinking about my bike. That’s a lot of inspiration. This week I have read two fascinating pieces whose subjects easily transfer from the cycling industry to ours.

Firstly, I’m going to pinch some very sensible words from a blog piece at Albion Cycling

The link between the two articles is clear: produce well designed and durable products for which we feel an emotional attachment. This ‘value’ can be retained by the manufacturer and then be transferred to second and third users.