THROWAWAY THURSDAY: CANNONDALE’S PLANT BASED BOTTLE

For as much time as spend talking about the latest new bikes and components, one topic we’ve been short on has been heralding the  bike industry’s growing embrace of using renewable resources, most commonly in clothing.  But now Cannondale is  taking the environmentally friendly discussion to a new level with the launch of what they claim is a 100% compostable water bottle. Although it’s initially only available to their team riders,  it marks a start in bringing a more eco-friendly future to hard parts.

CANNONDALE COMPOSTABLE BOTTLE

Press Release

Cannondale is introducing to the World Tour peloton its Cannondale 100% Compostable Bottle on 5 May as an alternative to plastic bottles currently used. Beginning at the 2022 men’s Giro this weekend, Cannondale’s professional World Tour Road men’s team, EF Education – EasyPost, will use 100% compostable bottles, with the women’s EF Education-TIBCO-SVB team using the bottles shortly thereafter at the Itzulia Women stage race.

Minimizing our environmental footprint involves understanding what our impacts are and where they occur. Each year an estimated 630,000 bottles are used in the professional peloton, with 70,000 of that number coming from the Grand Tour alone. 34,000 bottles are used by both EF Education – EasyPost men’s team and EF Education – TIBCO – SVB women’s team each year. Cannondale wants to change this by using better materials that replace single use bottles* and push towards a more sustainable solution.

Lachlan Morton shows-off the new compostable bottle.

The Cannondale 100% Compostable Bottle is crafted from plant-derived materials, with the bite valve, cap and bottle body being completely compostable, free from plasticizers, heavy metals and BPAs…making it both human-friendly and eco-friendly.

How does it work? The bottle, as green waste, will decompose in as quickly as 3 months, in an industrial compost system once exposed to micro-organisms, heat and humidity. This is certified by European Compost Standards EN13242. At home, this will be approximately 10 – 12 months due to the variability in home compost systems.

The bottle will not be sold publicly for consumer purchase. Most notably, in its continued effort to help create a more sustainable future for professional racing, Cannondale will open this bottle innovation and license to the entire World Tour beyond for the 2023 season and beyond.

* As we know, many bottles in professional cycling are only used once then discarded. They are commonly thrown roadside in specified feed/rubbish zones during a race and not used again due to hygiene reasons.

For more: Cannondale

Top photo: Bettini

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