Technology has long been an essential consideration in public discussions of the environment, with the focus overwhelmingly on creating new tools and techniques. In more recent years, however, activists, researchers, and policymakers have increasingly turned to mobilizing older technologies in their pursuit of sustainability. In fascinating case studies ranging from the Early Modern secondhand trade to utopian visions of human-powered vehicles, the contributions gathered here explore the historical fortunes of two such technologies—bicycling and waste recycling—tracing their development over time and providing valuable context for the policy successes and failures of today.

Imagine a bike that has been made from plant-based materials or reused and recy cled parts. Imagine that the material wearing from your tyres or brake pads is biodegradable. That the lubricant washing down from your chain no longer pollutes the forest you are riding through, but provides valuable nutrients for the plants in it. You no longer discard your old bike as if it were a piece of rubbish, but return it to the manufacturer so that parts and materials can be reused to make new bikes. Or, alternatively, you could plant your old bike in your garden for it to become part of the circle of life again. You would be living in a world with a circular economy. A world where you ride your bike in an environment without pollution. Through forests larger than today, inhabited by ever more varied species of plants and birds. A world where CO2 emissions no longer contribute to climate change and we no longer dig up finite resources from the Earth, but use our 'waste' or renewable natural sources to make new products. To make the transition from our current linear take-make-waste economy to that circular economy, marginal gains are not sufficient. To get there, we need a revolution. This book is a practical guide to help the world of cycling make that transition. Erik Bronsvoort is a bike nerd, engineer, entrepreneur and trailblazer. Founded Circular Cycling with Matthijs to test circular business models in the cycling industry. Matthijs Gerrits is a bike nerd, historian and IT expert. Founded Circular Cycling with Erik to make sustainability an issue in the cycling industry.

People are proud to recycle, but in recent years many have become suspicious the process isn't operating as seamlessly as we'd like to think. Reduce, Reuse, Reimagine makes sense of the complex system for any reader who wants to learn how it works, what the problems are, and what they can do to help recycling thrive

Ever-expanding landfills, ocean gyres filled with floating plastic mush, endangered wildlife. Our garbage has become a massive and exponentially growing problem in modern society. Eco-entrepreneur Tom Szaky explores why this crisis exists and explains how can we solve it by eliminating the very idea of garbage. To outsmart waste, he says, we first have to understand it, then change how we create it, and finally rethink what we do with it. By mimicking nature and focusing on the value inherent in our by-products, we can transform the waste we can't avoid creating from useless trash to a useful resource. Szaky demonstrates that there is value in every kind of garbage, from used chewing gum to juice pouches to cigarette butts. After reading this mind-expanding book, you will never think about garbage the same way again.

Cycling studies is a rapidly growing area of investigation across the social sciences, reflecting and engaged with rapid transformations of urban mobility and concerns for sustainability. This volume brings together a range of studies of cycling and cyclists, examining some of the diversity of practices and their representation. Its international contributors focus on cases studies in the UK and the Netherlands, and on cycling subcultures that cross national boundaries. By considering cycling through the lens of culture it addresses issues of diversity and complexity, both past and present. The authors cross the boundaries of academia and professional engagement, linking theory and practice, to shed light on the very real processes of change that are reshaping our mobility.

How to make city cycling--the most sustainable form of urban transportation--safe, practical, and convenient for all cyclists. Cycling is the most sustainable mode of urban transportation, practical for most short- and medium-distance trips--commuting to and from work or school, shopping, visiting friends, going to the doctor's office. It's good for your health, spares the environment a trip's worth of auto emissions, and is economical for both public and personal budgets. Cycling, with all its benefits, should not be reserved for the fit, the spandex-clad, and the daring. Cycling for Sustainable Cities shows how to make city cycling safe, practical, and convenient for all cyclists.