ReBike - Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute

1. Submission Information.
1.1. Contact Information:
Caterina Vianna
TT Group
Eina University Center of Arts and Design
vianna.caterina@gmail.com
(+34) 610 467 108
Avinguda Diagonal 366, 1 - 3
08013 Barcelona
Spain
1.2. Submitting Category:
Student
No, I did not use Autodesk Fusion 360™ to design the
product.
Yes, the design incorporate Aluminum as a material component.
2. Product Description and Image.
2.1. Product title and description.
Rebike is a toy-bicycle for 3 to 6 year old kids. Each
part of ReBike can be cycled. The product is designed to
create a sense of ecological awareness in children at an
early age while having fun building ReBike with the help
and supervision of an adult, or taking it apart.
ReBike comes with a Manual in the form of a “Story
Board”—a “Tale of Instructions”—that teaches 1) how to
assemble and ride the bike and 2) what to do with ReBike
itself when the user outgrows or no longer uses it. Each
ReBike component is designed for safe everyday use
and environmental use through responsible product-service-system and recycling. All of the ReBike materials,
the box it comes in and the product itself, comply with
the cyclical and principle concept of “cradle to cradle”.
2.2. Image.
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2.3. Illustration of the product’s system.
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1. Corn fields. Rapidly renewable resourse.
2. Marterials considered waste.
3. Corn harvesting.
4. Recovery of aluminium ‘‘waste‘‘ and convert it to
‘‘food’’.
5. Plant sugar transformed into biopolimers and aluminion converted into ingots.
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6. Manufacture of the bike components: PLA
through rotomolding; aluminium parts by lost wax technique.
7. Laser cut packaging. Selecction of Rebike with the
colours ordered.
8. Shipping.
9. After ordering and customizing the Rebike online,
the customer receives the ReByke that it’s ready to be
assambled.
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10. User returns the product when damaged or once is
no longer used via mail to ReBike wharehouse.
11. The manufacturer takes de bike apart to classify
its components for reuse or, if the parts are damaged,
sends them to a recycling plant.
12. Recycling plant. The raw material is used to create
new products for other companies 14 or to create again
a new ReBike 13.
3. Reutilization Cycle and Business Model.
The ReBike cycle is very simple: the manufacturer uses fully recyclable raw materials to make the ReBike and once
the product reaches the end of its useful life or is no longer used, it is returned to the firm, a process stimulated
through an understanding of what it means to Upcycle a
product. To encourage the buyer to return the product a
refund is given and a subsequent ‘‘certificate’’ is mailed
to the child recognizing him as an “ecologically correct
citizen”.
Getting the Habit of Cycling
ReBike has a double objective: 1) provide fun for children
aged 3 to 6 and 2) teach these prospective buyers and
consumers the importance of being a responsible consumer, changing the concept of waste to food, following
cradle to cradle principles.
The “Story Board”/“Tale of Instructions”(a) accompanying ReBike explain the difference between the “Linear
Model”, which is dominant today, and the innovative
concept of “Cradle to Cradle”. This also explains why
this is feasible through this attractive “book” which, in
a didactic and principled way, shows how to mount the
bike and at the same time demonstrates the need to protect the environment by learning the cyrcular economy
system.
Internet Sales
Internet shopping is a reality and increasingly on the
rise. As such, ReBike will be available and sold online,
and will offer various combinations of colors (b) that the
consumer can choose from their own website.
Given the facilities that the internet offers to select different options, ReBike can be customized by the user, before
purchase. Children, with the help of an adult, can easily
‘‘design their own bike’’, accordingly, ahead of time.
Safety
It is important to highlight that the ReBike does not contain
small parts or any material that could hurt a child. Each
of ReBike components can be used without risk by children 3 to 6 years.
Additional information
ReBike will have an official website with detailed information about the concept of ‘‘cradle to cradle’’ and the
process that is to be carried out to maintain the “circular
lifecycle” of the original product. This website will also
provide the information ‘‘Customize your ReBike’’, so
that the child can on-line virtually see and ride the bike
which then will be sent to his home.
Product ReUse
ReBike is designed to be easily assembled and disassembled by the child. When the child stops using the product,
it will be returned, according to the concept of ‘‘life cycle’’, Upcycling to a ‘‘new life”, without losing any of its
properties. Each piece of ReBike, including packaging, is
fully recyclable.
b
The same box (c) used to send the product is reused to
return it. The system is very simple: after unpacking the
ReBike, the user carefully folds the box it comes in and
stores it accordingly until time of return to the manufacturer. There is no return postage due since the cost is
included in the original price (d).
Once the ReBike is no longer used, one simply repacks it
in its original box and deposit it in a post office.
To encourage product return, a portion of the original cost for ReBike is returned as reimbursement to the
same bankcard with which the product was originally
purchased. Further, in reward for “Upcycling” ReBike,
an ‘‘Ecological Awareness’’ certificate will be mailed to
children for demonstrating a conscientious and respectful
attitude towards the environment.
a
The ReBike returned to the manufacturer in good condition can be sold again. Damaged parts from the tecnosphere are recycled accordingly, and then reused as
needed as are component parts made from aluminum or
PLA.
The ReBike packaging is trimmed by laser to avoid the
use of more materials than needed. Each part is also
identified with its recycling symbol (e) and the technique
to follow when returned to the recycling plant.
c
d
e
4.1. Overview.
4.3. Material Health.
Recycled aluminum is used for ReBike parts that need
mechanical resistance to friction and lightness. Alcoa
Inc. aluminum is durable and sustainable. Aluminium
can be melted and recycled over and over again without losing its properties. To recycle discarded aluminum
requires only 5% of the energy to produce mined aluminum. Alcoa Inc. actively seek to recycle or reuse their
process wastes. Alcoa Inc. has a overal certification level of Bronze at Cradle to Cradle Certificate Scorecard.
Some recovered materials of aluminium for recycling
may contain remains of toxic contents but they’re eliminated or separated during recycling process. Besides,
using recyclable materials gives a new use to a product
that came to its end, restoring its materials, as well, to a
circular system based on Cradle to Cradle Upcycle. Alcoa is certified with Gold Cradle to Cradle Score Card
in Material Health.
The structural parts for ReBike, the wheels, for example,
are made of PLA owing to its firmness and properties,
such as waterproofness and lightness, that improve the
performance and maximum safety of the bike. All the
components of ReBike will be coloured with non-toxic
colouring resins.
Ingeo, the bioplastic made from sugar of corn choosed
for ReBike, is also a useable and sustainable product
non-derivative oil based material and, like aluminum,
can be recycled time after time, in contrast to plastics
and petroleum derivative products that normally lose
character, are in constant loss of their properties, and
usually end up in landfills. It is produced less greenhouse gas emisions and is made by cleaner tecnologies.
Ingeo has a overal certification level of Bronze at Cradle
to Cradle Certificate Scorecard.
Ingeo PLA is a durable and recyclable, although not biologically inert material. PLA is not oil based. It can be
recycled repeatedly and offers much better sustainable
characteristics than common plastics. It is certified with
Gold Cradle to Cradle Score Card in Material Health.
ReBike does not contain any type of glue. Is it completely mounted with carefully fitted and machined parts.
The packaging is made with cardboard (including the
instructions book). It is ideal to send by the postal system
and is 100% biodegradable.
4.2. Material Reutilization.
Percentage of materials:
Aluminium
100% recycled x1 + 100% recyclable
PLA
100% rapidly renewably sourced x1 + 100% recyclable x2
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100% Material reutilization score