Compostable wipes and bio-lubricants: Good for your bike and the planet

Article 3 of 3. Please see article 1 and article 2 here for the full series before reading below.

 

Over the past year, it has become apparent on how novel compostable wipes are in the sports industry. The convenience of purchasing bulk-buy baby wipes, or the perceived distrust with new products marketed as compostable under the assumption that it leads to more waste, are strong arguments to those who are comfortable with their routine of using plastic-heavy products.

As with most new, innovative products, the quality, durability and suitability of our compostable wipes have been questioned many times – partly due to a lack of knowledge around how composting works and partly due to whether such wipes are suitable for the bike and the environment. To demonstrate the efficacy of our Bikey Wipes and why it makes a difference for your bike and our planet, we put it to the test.

 

In Spring 2024, we started the process of observing and monitoring how our wipes decompose in a home environment using a compost tumbler. In approximately 68 days, our used wipes (pictured a degreaser wipe), slowly broke down into a soil-mixed pulp and then finally back into soil form. During this time, the compost was tumbled, replenished with brown matter (dry leaves, twigs) and importantly, worms were introduced. With such optimal conditions, the degreaser wipe no longer existed in its original form – it became soil which was used as soil nourishment for the garden.

Part 1

A Degreaser Wipe was placed in a compost tumbler in Spring 2024 (August). This image was taken four (4) weeks after.

Part 2

At the eight (8) week mark, this is what the wipe looked liked. Partially decomposed, with the help of the worms.

Part 3

Approximately 10 weeks (65-68 days) after first putting the Degreaser wipe in the compost tumbler, it was completely decomposed. This compost heap was used as soil nourishment for the garden.

It must be noted here that when composting at home or in a community garden, your compost must be regularly maintained / observed to ensure it is providing the optimal conditions for decomposition.

 

The next major point of concern amongst cyclists looking to our products as a possible sustainable alternative was whether the grime, oil (lube) picked up by the wipes would be harmful for the compost and therefore the garden, waterways and ultimately the greater environment. What would happen to any oils and petroleum picked up by the wipes and introduced into soil or to our waterways (i.e. from runoff)? Is it safe to compost used bike wipes which have oil/lube/grease on them?

Typically, the amount of oil, grease or grime picked up by wipes are a trace amounts.  Cumulatively, they comprise of approximately 10% or less of the product mass when introduced into a compost pile. Furthermore, this is where it is critical to know about the ingredients used in your bike lube. What is environmentally friendly for both bike and environment?

 

Most bike lubricants consist of synthetic oils (which are chemically altered) with additives such as Teflon or PTFE, which is petroleum based (1 & 2). These products take longer to biodegrade and are more expensive to produce (3).

With synthetic lubricants, most of the product is carrier fluid and approximately 10-15% is lubricant. As a result, such bike lubricants, particularly ‘wet lubes’ can pick up more dirt and grime off the road, are not as efficient in protecting your bike chain and are not good for the environment when introduced through waterways. Over time, synthetic and petroleum-based oils when accumulated through land surface runoff can contribute to water contamination, sunlight blocking (smothering), increase in nitrogen & phosphorus levels and therefore toxicity in our waterways (4). Whilst this would not be a result of one individual, or even one hundred using synthetic lubricants on their bike, at mass scale, coupled with similar products used for cars, trucks and other motor vehicles, oils and hydrocarbons accounts for 37% of urban-based runoff (Australian context) (4), and can have a devastating impact upon wildlife and natural ecosystems.

With this in mind, there must be an alternative oil and cleaning tool (i.e. wipes) which are good for both bike and environment.

Enter biological lubricants: these are lubricants which are plant based and all components are naturally derived from plants or vegetables, including the solvents and polymers (4). Bio-lubes have been scientifically proven to be safer for the environment than mineral and synthetic oils based on its rate of decomposition or biodegradation (half-life) (5). Bio-lubricants have a half-life of 20-30 days whereas mineral oils have a half-life of over 200 days (5), thereby demonstrating how much longer the latter remains in the environment than biological lubricants.

All in all, the combination of using compostable wipes and biological lubricants and undertaking the correct and recommended disposal processes of such products for your bike maintenance ritual will result in a happier bike (yes, they have feelings :D) and importantly, a healthier planet. These practices leads to zero waste and the natural decomposition process (both guided and natural), means you have less to think about and more time to spend out cycling!

 

To summarise this three-part article series, we would like to leave you with a few reflective questions:

  • What difference are you making for both your bike and the planet with your current selection of maintenance products?

  • Does ‘convenience’ for bike tools / maintenance products only revolve around price, quality and stock availability or does it also include your consciousness about waste practices and the post-consumer life of your products? If not, why not?

  • Do you hold the same standard of care for bike cleaning (cleaning your frame, chain or cluster) and for what is used to lube your bike chain?

 

 References

  1. https://www.parktool.com/en-int/blog/repair-help/the-park-tool-guide-to-bicycle-lubricants-and-compounds

  2. https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/buyers-guides/chain-lubes

  3. https://nsmb.com/articles/bio-lubricants-fast-or-friction/

  4. https://www.waterquality.gov.au/anz-guidelines/guideline-values/default/water-quality-toxicants/toxicants/oils-petroleum-hydrocarbons-2000

  5. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301679X15002923

Next
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Biodegradable vs Compostable Wipes: Does it make a difference?