Tyre recycling biz Velorim turns scraps into cycle paths

The tyre and tube recycling business Velorim has revealed that it is now turning recycled pellets from reclaimed rubber goods into a porous material that can be laid as a cycle path in either urban or rural landscapes.

Richard Lawrence, the company’s Director posted a video of the recycled surface on LinkedIn, illustrating the ‘Velo-Path’ product with water flowing through the reclaimed surface.

Explaining the innovation, he wrote: “Velo-Path is a single layered system with a bark like appearance. It is constructed of recycled shredded bicycle tyres bonded together with polyurethane resin.  As the pieces are much larger than standard rubber crumb, the spaces between gives it greater flexibility and open pores, allowing superb water ingress. As it is made from rubber that means the surface does not become slippery even in wet conditions, maintaining the rider experience.”

The Velorim tyre recycling service is a nationwide initiative available to all bike workshops and businesses in the cycle trade who regularly have a surplus of no longer usable tyres. The company is supported in its efforts via distributor Madison, with shops able to sign up on the distributor’s B2B.

Shops have the option of filling either a tyre cage (100x120cm), a tyre bag for those with less space, or a tube box (30cm x 40cm x 50cm). Valves must be cut out of tubes prior to shipping. A tyre recycling cage will hold around 180 tyres, a bag around 25 tyres and a carboard box around 160 inner tubes. Fees apply for the collection, ranging £16.50 to £90, depending on volume. Velorim recommends a small levy for customers needing to dispose of tyres via the workshop.

“A nationwide installation team is able to fit Velo-Path™ in even the most remote of locations, and with soil banking of up to 45degrees,” concludes Richard.