Carbon Footprint of Frame Repair at Ruckus Composites

Carbon frame repair produces up to 95% fewer greenhouse gas equivalent emissions compared to replacement.

Repairing a damaged carbon frame is not only less expensive than purchasing a replacement, it’s also better for the planet. Repair keeps bicycles out of landfills and on the road and trails. In addition, fewer greenhouse gas equivalent emissions are associated with repair relative to manufacture.

Emissions State of Play in the Bicycle Industry

Trek Bicycle has been the first to show their cards to consumers when it comes to production of emissions in the bicycle industry. Trek recently released the results of a pioneering study they commissioned on the sustainability of their bicycle manufacturing operations by WAP Sustainability Consultants. The goal of this study was to establish a baseline carbon footprint of their bicycle manufacturing and elucidate areas where Trek can focus on reducing greenhouse gas equivalent emissions moving forward.

The results of the WAP study were summarized for consumers in a report earlier this year. This report breaks down the CO₂ equivalent emissions (CO₂e) for production of each part of four bicycles representative of their range of products, one of which is the 2020 Madone SLR7 disc carbon road bike. Use of the carbon dioxide equivalent allows different greenhouse gasses to have a common unit that signifies the amount of CO₂ that would have the equivalent global warming impact. WAP calculated that production of each Madone produces 197 kg CO₂e, with the frame accounting for 29% of that amount at 57.1 kg CO₂e. The frame is the most significant source of emissions for this bicycle due to the requirements of manufacturing and processing carbon fiber reinforced plastic.

Before the Trek report, the only published analysis of the carbon footprint of manufacturing was conducted by Specialized Bicycles in collaboration with the Nicholas School for the Environment at Duke University in 2014. This analysis included investigation of the emissions produced by manufacturing of two bicycle frames, one of which is the 2013 Roubaix Pro carbon road bike, reported to produce 67.2 kg CO₂e.

The Trek report has prompted further conversations about emissions related to the bicycle industry and encouraged us to undertake the challenge of determining the carbon footprint of our own business.

What is the Carbon Footprint of Carbon Frame Repair?

It seems intuitive that repairing a broken carbon bike frame would have a smaller carbon footprint than purchasing an entire new bicycle, especially given that production of the frame is responsible for the largest proportion of emissions, as documented in the Trek and Specialized reports. 

How many emissions are saved by repair instead of replace?

When we set out to answer this question, we naively thought that this would be a relatively simple project. Wrong. Turns out that emissions data, especially for production of materials, is increasingly becoming a hot commodity (read $$$ for the holders of the information), and as such are often not made publicly available. Even more frustrating, emissions data published in scientific research journals are often behind a paywall. Some companies, such as 3M, have pledged to provide emissions data for all of their products, but this information is not yet available.

However, enough information is out there that we were able to make a good stab at calculating the carbon footprint of repair, after a deep dive into online calculators, life cycle analyses, and scientific papers. We had to make a lot of (what we thought were) reasonable assumptions along the way, and we will call these out in discussion of our analysis. The values we produced are clearly just estimates, however we feel that these values are close enough to make some informative comparisons.

How did we calculate the carbon footprint of frame repair?

We assessed emissions generated by repair at Ruckus Composites in three categories:

• Materials: everything that goes into frame repair including prepreg, epoxy, solvents, paint, etc.
• Business overhead: utilities — water, gas, electricity — as well as email, and our website
• Shipping: includes emissions from transportation as well as production of the cardboard shipping box.

We sourced emissions data from our utility companies, the Environmental Protection Agency, published life cycle analyses, sustainability reports from a range of agencies and companies, and on-line calculators. The variables we assessed for our analysis, the data sources we used, and the emissions values we used are listed in two tables:

• Table 1 includes the emissions produced from manufacture of bicycles and packaging, manufacture of materials used in repair, shipping and warehousing, and utilities. All emissions are expressed in terms of CO₂e.
• Table 2 includes weights and dimensions of bicycle components and shipping containers, as well as distances between locations in the supply chain.

Estimating Shipping Emissions

The emissions data supplied by Trek for the 2020 Madone SLR 7 disc only include those associated with production, including production and transportation of raw materials, but do not include emissions generated during shipment of products to retailers in the US. This paints an incomplete picture of the total emissions generated by a bicycle by the time that it is received by a consumer in the US. In order to make a more equitable comparison, we estimated the transportation emissions generated using Portland, Oregon, home of Ruckus Composites, as a case study.

We made educated guesses about the route and modes of transportation used in the supply chain from Asia to Portland:

• Bicycles are transported by container ship in a 20 ft container from Asia (either Taiwan or China) to the Port of Long Beach, California.
• From the port, bicycles are transported by truck to Trek’s distribution center in Ontario, California and warehoused for 30 days.
• Bicycles transported by truck to Portland via a carrier distribution center in Troutdale, Oregon.

We calculated how many shipping boxes sized for frames, framesets, or complete bicycles would fit in a container based on container and box dimensions. The sizes of actual shipping boxes used may be slightly different from the dimensions we used, but any differences are not likely to significantly alter the results of our calculations.

We were able to estimate the emissions generated during maritime shipping, handling in port, transportation by truck, and warehouse storage. We estimated the average emissions generated by round-trip shipping of frames to Ruckus from the contiguous US, Alaska, and Hawaii by downloading our out-going FedEx shipment records.

Estimated Shipping Emissions to Portland, Oregon

• Frames for repair: 3.18 kg CO₂e
• 2020 Trek Madone SLR 7 disc–complete: 15.60 kg CO₂e
• 2022 Trek Madone–frameset: 10.4 kg CO₂e
• 2022 Trek Madone–frame: 6.1 kg CO₂e

Business Overhead Emissions

Business overhead at Ruckus accounts for 71.2% of the 17.7 MT CO₂e generated by the entire operations in a year. Natural gas and electricity account for the bulk of these emissions.

Based on the size of buildings occupied by Ruckus and bicycle retailers in the Portland Metro area, we made the assumption that the average overhead of retailers is equal to or greater than the overhead of Ruckus. This allows us to exclude business overhead from our calculation of the CO₂e of frame repair since overhead would be comparable per frame whether it was repaired at Ruckus or replaced through sale at a retail location. 

With business overhead out of the picture, this leaves the following emissions contributions to repair:

• Roundtrip shipping
• Materials used in repair
• Electricity to process repair
• Water to process repairs
• Emails associated with repair
• Website page views associated with repair

Complete Emissions Picture

The complete estimated emissions generated by repair of a frame or replacement are as follows:

• Repairing damaged Madone frame: 5.90 kg CO₂e
• Replacing with new 2022 Madone frame: 63.2 kg CO₂e
• Replacing with new 2022 Madone frameset: 80.6 kg CO₂e
• Replacing with new complete 2022 Madone SLR 7 disc: 212.6 kg CO₂e

Repair is estimated to produce:

• 9.3% the emissions of a new frame
• 7.3 % the emissions of a new frameset
• 2.7% the emissions of a new complete bicycle

This yields a savings of 57.3, 74.7, and 206.7 kg CO₂e respectively. 

If the 7,000 frames repaired at Ruckus to date had been replaced by complete bicycles, the excess associated emissions would have totaled over 1.4 metric tons of CO₂e!

Emissions equivalencies

Since its inception, Ruckus Composites has repaired over 7,000 frames. Assuming production of each of these frames produced CO₂e comparable to the 2020 Trek Madone frame, repairing these 7,000 frames instead of replacing them with a new frame, frameset, or complete bicycle, produces CO₂e emissions savings of 402,080 kg, 522,970 kg, and 1,446,200 kg respectively!

We used a calculator provided by the EPA to put these numbers into perspective. The CO₂e saved by repairing 7,000 frames instead of replacing them with complete bicycles is equivalent to CO₂e emissions from driving the average American passenger car 3.6 million miles, charging 175.9 million cell phones, or burning 1.6 million pounds of coal. If 7000 damaged frames were replaced by complete new bicycles, the emissions would be equivalent to burning a staggering 1.6 million tons of coal!

For a playful exploration of other emissions equivalencies developed by the twisted minds at Ruckus, check this out!

Moving Forward

We are grateful to Trek for sharing their pioneering analysis of the sustainability of bicycle production. Their report will generate more important conversations in the bicycle industry and hopefully lead to greater transparency when it comes to environmental impact by emissions. Reducing emissions during production is very important, but understanding the environmental impact of repair is even more so. As the Right to Repair movement gains momentum, there will be increased focus on the myriad benefits of repair. Our analysis of the carbon footprint of carbon frame repair versus replacement has demonstrated that repair significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 95%. Even though we had to make more assumptions than we would have liked due to a lack of available data, we feel that the magnitude of difference is still valid.

We were surprised by several things during this project. One is how difficult it is to get emissions data if you don’t have big corporate bucks to spend. For residents of planet Earth to truly be able to work as a team to combat global warming, this information needs to be made freely available. In addition to our desire for greater transparency, we were surprised by how emissions from business overhead and shipping dwarf those associated with frame repair. In fact, the emissions associated by repair are so small that they can hardly be seen in the visual representations we produced. 

In order to reduce our carbon footprint, our main target is overhead. Emissions from electricity account for 42.6% of the carbon footprint. Steps we have taken to reduce our electricity consumption include replacement of our lighting with LEDs. Lighting consumes about 30% of the total energy consumed in most commercial buildings and LED lights cut energy usage by up to 85%. We brought an incentive program offered by Portland General Electric to the attention of our landlord, and he agreed to replace all the lighting. We would also love to have solar power as part of a bid to be carbon neutral, and plan to strongly encourage our landlord to add solar panels when it comes time to replace the roof. Natural gas, which accounts for 54.5% of our carbon footprint, is used for building heating. Reducing our current consumption is not an option as we love our employees and want to keep them comfortable. Our only viable option is to advocate for replacement of the gas furnace with an electrical one and increased building insulation.

Shipping accounts for 27.2% of our carbon footprint. We already ship items by ground, which has a much smaller footprint than air freight, and package frames for return shipping using 100% recycled packing material derived from cardboard boxes that we shred on site. Fortunately, shipping companies are already working on ways to become more sustainable. FedEx, our shipping partner, has pledged to have carbon neutral operations by 2040.

And Now for Something Completely Different

Here at Ruckus we have a playful nature and inquiring minds. Bear with us, for this is where we diverge into the alternate universe of somewhat ridiculous units of measure. We wanted to go beyond the emissions equivalencies calculated by the EPA, and develop some new equivalencies that we hope will resonate with cyclists: bananas and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. 

Going Bananas

The greenhouse gas emissions embodied in the production of bananas are 1.32g CO₂e/g (link leads to a document download). The emissions saved by repairing 7,000 frames instead of replacing them with a new frame is equivalent to production of approximately 2.6 million bananas. So what does this quantity of bananas mean in real world terms? At Chimp Haven, the world’s largest chimpanzee sanctuary, they go through 150 pounds of bananas a day as part of the diet for around 300 chimps. The CO₂e banana equivalent of emissions savings from repair is enough to feed the chimps 150 pounds of bananas every day for 122,240 years. 

But what if you only have one chimp to feed? That works out to be 3,671,963 chimp-years (c-yb) of bananas. That’s right, over three million year’s worth of daily banana allotments. 

Chimp-years of bananas is an intriguing metric, but we probably don’t want to be monkeying around with applying this new banana unit too widely. It’s already hard enough online shopping for bananas. The kick game is whether entering five for the quantity is going to result in five bananas, five pounds of bananas, or five bunches of bananas showing up on your doorstep. The mind shudders to think what would happen if c-yb was thrown into the mix. Five c-yb would result in a delivery of almost 913 pounds of bananas. Should be enough to make banana bread for 2,000 or so of your closest friends.

We are not the first to explore use of the humble banana as a unit of measurement. One keen banana aficionado examined the question of whether it would be possible to power a rocket to the moon using the energy (calories) contained in bananas. Spoiler alert: using current technology it is impossible to go to the moon using banana power (bp). Although we can’t get to the moon using banana power, the banana as a unit of length has already been developed to quantify space. The distance from the Earth to the moon is 1,753,963,200 banana lengths (bl) or 1.7 gigabl. Move over astronomical unit (the mean distance from the center of the Earth to the center of the Sun in kilometers), bananas are where it’s at! 

If all 7,000 damaged frames repaired at Ruckus had been replaced with complete bicycles instead, that would have produced an excess of 1,446,200 kg CO2e emissions over repair. According to the EPA equivalencies calculator, these emissions equate to those that would be produced by driving an average passenger vehicle 3,633,000 miles. To put this number into perspective, that’s the same distance as 7.5 round trips to the moon. In terms of banana metrics, 7.5 round trips to the moon is 26.6 billion banana lengths. 

Going nuts

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are great cycling food. These tasty combos fit nicely in a jersey pocket and contain a combination of complex carbs, simple carbs, and plant-based protein. PB&Js also fuel the youth of our nation. According to the National Peanut Board, the average American child will eat 1,500 PB&J sandwiches by high school graduation.

Production of each sandwich embodies189 g of CO₂e (link leads to a document download). Repairing 7,000 frames instead of replacing them with new complete bicycles produces emissions savings equivalent to 7,651,852 PB&Js, or enough sandwiches to supply 5,101 children up to age 18.

On a grander scale, the emissions saved are enough to make 2,418 really, really big sandwiches. The world-record holding largest PB&J was made in Texas in 2010 and contained 493 pounds of peanut butter, 129 pounds of jelly, and 720 pounds of bread. This adds up to 598 kg of CO₂e embodied in each gargantuan sandwich. Good luck getting one of these in your jersey pocket.

Data Tables

Table 1: CO₂e of Carbon Bicycle Manufacture, Repair, and Distribution

Item	Data Source	Amount
Place Holder
Manufacture of Bicycles and Packaging
Trek Madone SLR 7	Trek Bicycle	197.00 kg
Trek Madone frame	Trek Bicycle	57.13 kg
Specialized Roubaix	Duke University	67.20 kg
Corrugated cardboard	National Council for Air and Stream Improvement	2.93 kg/kg
Place Holder
Manufacture of Materials used in Repair
Mitsubishi Prepreg CFRP	Composites	9.8 kg/kg
Bonding Epoxy	Journal of Industrial Ecology	6.7 kg/kg
Water-based acrylic airbrush pain	Newlife Paints	13.58 kg/5L
Primer	Newlife Paints	13.58 kg/5L
Matte clear coat	European Solvent Recycling Group	2,050 kg/MT*
Glamour Clear coat	European Solvent Recycling Group	2,050 kg/MT*
Reducer	European Solvent Recycling Group	2,050 kg/MT*
Hardener – 2000ml	European Solvent Recycling Group	2,050 kg/MT*
Universal Mid Temp Reducer	European Solvent Recycling Group	2,050 kg/MT*
Rapid Hardener	European Solvent Recycling Group	2,050 kg/MT*
Acetone	European Solvent Recycling Group	2,040 kg/MT
Virgin Lacquer Thinner	European Solvent Recycling Group	2,050 kg/MT
Glaze	European Solvent Recycling Group	2,050 kg/MT*
Place Holder
Shipping and Warehousing
Ground shipping	Consumer Ecology	360g base + 200g/US ton-mile
Maritime shipping	MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics	10 g/MT-km
Container handling in port	MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics	2.56 g/kg
Warehousing	MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics	200 g/m3-day
Place Holder
Ruckus Composites Utilities
Water	Portland Water Bureau	0.25 MT/MG
Electricity	Portland General Electric	0.3 MT/mw-hour
Natural gas	Environmental Protection Agency	0.0053 MT/therm
Website	Website Carbon Calculator	1.76 g/page view
Email	Carbon Literacy Project	0.3 MT/yr

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Table 2: Weights and Measures Used in Calculation of CO₂e

Weight
2020 Trek Madone SLR 7	99 Spokes	17.9 lbs
2022 Trek Madone frame assembly	Trek Bicycle	1.1 kg
2022 Trek Madone frameset	Trek Bicycle	2.44 kg
Ruckus frame shipping box	Ruckus Composites	1.1 kg
Madone SLR 7 shipping box	Ruckus Composites	2.13 kg*
Place Holder
Dimensions
Madone SLR 7 shipping box	Bicycles Network Australia	27cm W x 79 cm H x 115 cm L
Ruckus frame shipping box	Ruckus Composites	8″ W x 26″ H x 37″ L
20 ft shipping container	Mr Box	8′ W x 8.5′ H x 20′ L
Place Holder
Distance
Average nautical miles from Taiwan/China	Ports.com	19,061 nmi
Port of Long Beach to Trek Distribution Center, Ontario, CA	Google Maps	58.0 miles
Trek Distribution Center to Troutdale, OR	Google Maps	1001.8 miles
Troutdale to Portland, OR	Google Maps	16.3 miles

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