This month’s Sustainable Industries Journal has a nice little piece about the cycling industry featuring Breezer, Strawberry, Bikes Belong, and (blush) Sweetpea Bicycles. While they mentioned our recent announcement about joining 1%FTP, they also had some great stuff from a company that has sustainability infused in almost everything they do: Chris King.
(On newsstands now. Get yours today!)
The word “sustainable” seems to be losing some traction. Everyone’s got it: “Our nuclear power plant is made from Soy, so it’s both sustainable and good for your heart.” And when everyone’s got it, it is sometimes hard to see the ones who are really trying.
With the word being bantered around so much lately, I have to admit that I really admire the gang at Chris King. There is a lot that really sets them apart in the area of sustainability (all their materials and manufacturing is done domestically, they donate money to breast cancer research, and they have an innovative recycling program). But what I think is really cool is the fact that they make a fantastic product that you buy once and never have to replace. 90% of sustainability is right there.
But what really impresses me is that the same ethic applies to how they approach almost everything. It doesn’t matter if they are working with their raw materials, a new machine, their employees, or the community; they take great care of the resources they interact with. This isn’t just sustainability, it is deep sustainability. And its nice to know that we can find it not only on our bikes, but so close to home.
