With sustainability as the main theme of the TAIPEI CYCLE and TaiSPO 2024 exhibition, countless booths had on display their creatively green designs
“We only have one earth. We must start the sustainability project every day,” Robert Wu, Chairman of Taiwan Bicycle Association boldly said in his address at the TAIPEI CYCLE and Sport and Fitness Taiwan (TaiSPO) opening ceremony.
Sustainability took centre stage at the 2024 edition of TAIPEI CYCLE and TaiSPO – and it was evident for all to see. At the entrances, stacks of ‘Green Map’ brochures made their TAIPEI CYCLE debut.
Free for the perusal of exhibition-goers, the brochure charted booth locations of 68 key companies who featured sustainable designs under three categories – Green Manufacturing, Innovate Proudly and Corporate Sustainability.
The SportsArt's ECO-POWR treadmill stood out prominently at TaiSPO. With its compelling tagline, "change the world one workout at a time," the machine guarantees an eco-friendly workout experience. Once plugged in, the generator and patented micro-inverter present in the treadmill turns energy back into utility-grade electricity, ready for immediate use.
Cycling is often hailed as one of the most eco-friendly modes of transportation, yet many are unaware of the environmental hazards still inherent in the manufacturing processes of bicycles and E-bikes around the world.
Norwegian tire company reTyre specialises in pioneering innovative tire designs, and they unveiled one of their latest and most environmentally sustainable creations at the exhibition. Developing a new production technology which managed to eliminate rubber entirely, their tyres are ones to look out for on the market.
“We are the only producer in the world to produce rubber-free tires,” Mattis Norgreen Håklev, Global OEM Sales Manager and Member of Sustainability and Ethics Committee at reTyre told SportPlus.sg.
“They are made entirely by bio-based elastomers. The elastomer tyres are reusable and recyclable after they are used. We are also using full automation in production so our tyres are made in a machine instead of a huge factory,” he added.
reTyre’s elastomers are a direct substitute of rubber and can be sourced from renewable biological resources such as corn, sugarcane and cellulose.
“The demand for sustainable products has been growing every year. We have been working on this project for the last five years. One tyre reduces carbon dioxide by 65% so if you take millions of bicycles and use these tyres, that’s a huge number,” he shared.
“For the tyre industry, most recycle carcasses and fish nets. For us, we go a step further in eliminating rubber altogether. Rubber is terrible!”
Many companies had recognised the potential of repurposing abandoned fishing nets into more sustainable bicycles, evident in the abundance of fish nets on display at numerous booths throughout the exhibition.
Among these booths was Giant, who proudly showcased their 'Trail to Zero' section of their display. Founded in Taiwan in 1972, the brand is on track to help with the Taiwanese government’s goal to reach net zero by 2050.
One of the items on display was one of its bicycle handlebars, where the middle was made of a mesh material made out of Global Recycle Standard (GRS)-certified recycled polypropylene. The handlebar’s bottom layer, on the other hand, was constructed out of bio-based foam, bamboo and rice husk powder.
The most common theme amongst the companies was the recycling of ghost fish nets. While most companies used the abandoned nets to produce environmentally friendly tyres, Giant works with local recyclers who collect the nets to convert them into usable plastics. In turn, Giant produces green bottle cages.
Formosa Taffeta is another Taiwanese company making use of waste fishing nets to pedal the cycling industry towards a greener future. Made in their factory close to Taichung City, south of Taipei, the orange glow of the company’s Etycord fibres catches the attention of all who walk past.
Together with its parent company Formosa Chemical and Fibre Corporation, the Etycord fibres lower the carbon footprint of tyres by turning ghost nets into nylon fibres which are then woven into the tyres.
Speaking to Taipei Cycle Daily Show – the exhibition’s daily magazine – Edward Lung, Formosa Tafetta’s sales and marketing representative in the company’s tyre cord business division said: “We take sustainability very seriously and are very proud that the first industry players have implemented this material into their portfolio.”
A total of nearly 5,000 visitors from 80 countries attended both exhibitions with Singapore as one of its top five buyers. TaiSPO, which boasted booths of a variety of sports ranging from deep-sea diving to pickleball, hosted procurement meetings with buyers from eight countries.
With TAIPEI CYCLE and TaiSPO 2024’s success at showcasing the industry’s latest sustainable innovations, one can only anticipate what next year's edition will bring to the forefront, especially with climate change only getting worse each passing year.
Read here for just some of the booths that caught our eye.
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