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Planet Bike, they say, began as "a social experiment that dedicated itself to doing business in a different way. Instead of being just another company that develops and sells products with profit as its end goal, Planet Bike wanted to help bring about positive change for people, their communities, and the environment." They also make useful, quality bike gear.
"But do they stop there?" asks Jenn at Tiny Choices "No. No, they don't. For one thing, they donate 25% of their profits to bicycle advocacy. Stop rubbing your eyes, you read that right7mdash;25%!"
Planet Bike sez: "Since 1996 Planet Bike has donated over $660,000 to grassroots bicycle advocacy, and we aim to donate a total of $1,000,000 by 2009. Most of our money goes to the Alliance for Biking & Walking, (formerly the Thunderhead Alliance), a coalition of 140 bicycle advocacy groups across the nation that are working together to promote safe bicycling."
"And their factory is fully solar powered," adds Jenn. "Not only that, but it only uses about 1/3 of the energy the array produces, and so feeds the rest back into the grid. And they use 100% recycled packaging with soy-based inks for their products. And they encourage customers to buy replacement parts for their gear."
From the Planet Bike Manifesto: "Just as we are conscious of the way cycling affects people and the environment, we are also aware of the impact that our products have on them. We feel that it is our responsibility to be accountable for our products from production to disposal. This entails everything from ensuring a fair wage for factory workers, designing products to be both durable and fixable, minimizing packaging and using recyclable materials whenever, wherever we can."
Related Posts:
Greensburg Glossary: Recycle-a-Bicycle
Buy a Used Bike
Quiz: Are You a Savvy Cyclist?
Got a tip or a post idea for us to write about on Planet Green? Email pgtips (at) treehugger (dot) com.
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