Since October, Amsterdam has been offering its residents electric cargo bikes to deposit their rubbish.
The bikes are a solution for the 75% of Amsterdam’s citizens who don’t own a car, they can be borrowed for taking old items and rubbish to be recycled at four recycling centers around the city.
The e-cargo bikes can only be borrowed to transport bulky or garden waste up to 300 kg for a maximum of three hours a day. They are free to use and are insured against all risks. Those wanting to use a cargo bike for this purpose will have to book it in advance online to get instructions from an employee at the recycling point.
The four recycling centers currently receive around 1-4 requests to borrow a cargo bike per week, with the most popular one situated on Henk Sneevlietweg.
Comments Off on Dott completes refurbishment of 10,000 e-scooters
Dott, the responsible micromobility operator, today announces the complete refurbishment of 10,000 of its shared e-scooters. The achievement will double the expected lifespan of those vehicles to seven years, cutting carbon emissions per kilometre by nearly 50%.
The milestone coincides with the publication of Dott’s latest sustainability report, covering 2022 initiatives. Dott continued to drive down its CO2 emissions in 2022, reaching a total 63% reduction in CO2 emissions per kilometre since 2020.1
Reducing our impact:
The refurbishment project removes the need to purchase new vehicles, which has the biggest impact on Dott’s overall carbon footprint. Taking place in Lyon, France and Warsaw, Poland, the scooters are completely dismantled by a dedicated team of specialists, sorted into parts for either recycling, repairing or reusing and then fully renovated and painted. The 10,000 refurbished e-scooters are now supporting trips in Dott cities across Europe.
Dott also advanced its recycling rate across its operations throughout 2022, sending 90% of all waste to be recycled, compared to 80% in 2021. The figure meets Dott’s 2025 target ahead of time, leading to a renewed, ambitious target of 95% of all waste being recycled in 2023.
Supporting our teams:
The launch of Dott’s ‘Ride Your Future’ programme in 2022 provides training to operations and ground teams across software tools, communication, management and organisation skills. Classes take place during paid, working hours, and in 2022 a total of 40 people have been able to develop new skills to further their careers.
Tackling pollution in cities:
Dott’s most mature cities now operate under 30 g CO2 per km, a figure which is equivalent to public transport,2 and close to reaching an overall target of 20 grams of CO2 per km ridden by 2025.
Maxim Romain, Co-Founder and COO, Dott, said: “In 2022 we progressed towards mass adoption of our service, doubling the number of rides whilst continuing to drive down our carbon emissions. We have demonstrated our commitment to sustainability with a major refurbishment programme, fully rebuilding 10,000 e-scooters so far to double their lifespan, eliminating the need to manufacture more vehicles. By focusing on responsible operations we aim to keep generating a positive impact for our teams and the people living in the cities where we operate.”
The environment and social impact are at the heart of every business decision at Dott. The micromobility company has set out its goals and progress at ridedott.com/sustainability.
This June, the Sustainable Mobility Network (Netwerk Duurzame Mobiliteit) invites residents across Belgium to join the 30-day no car challenge
The scheme highlights four key reasons to get involved and leave the car parked throughout June.
For health: Walking and cycling are great for both physical and mental health
For adventure: Explore a new way of getting around, and discover new areas in your hometown
For your wallet: As fuel prices rise, alternative transport methods are becoming more important
For change: Choose a society with fewer CO2 emissions
Already, 2,500 individuals have registered their interest in the scheme and will participate in June. Find the registration portal and get involved here.
The growing use of electric scooters and ride-hailing services is transforming the way we move in urban centres — but walking, cycling and public transport remain the best way to improve sustainable mobility in cities, according to a report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) report.
EEA’s transport and environment report on ‘The first and last mile — the key to sustainable urban transport’ assesses how green and sustainable ‘first and last mile’ transport options like bicycles, scooters or other means of short distance travel can transform mobility systems in cities. The report also assesses how innovative urban freight and inner-city delivery services, including the use of delivery drones, can make urban freight transport more sustainable.
Short start or end journeys are an essential part of the daily commute. Bus, rail and metro services often cover the main part of trips to and from work, but people still need to first walk, drive or use another way to get to and from the nearest station or stop. Better first-mile, last-mile or only-mile journeys have the potential to bring down car use — reducing traffic congestion, emissions and improving air quality. Cities can do a lot to facilitate access to public transport systems by creating attractive urban spaces that are well connected to public transport infrastructure and by making walking and cycling to and from hubs and stops easier and more pleasant.
Shifting to walking, cycling and public transport will be crucial if Europe is to meet its long-term sustainability goals and policy objectives under the European Green Deal proposed by the European Commission in December 2019. Digitalisation and mobility apps can make a good urban mobility system even better, but they cannot compensate for underdeveloped public transport, the report cautions. For green options to have a fair chance to compete with cars, prices also need to reflect the harm done to health and environment.
Taken together with public transport, walking and cycling for short city journeys provide the greatest benefits for both human health and the environment in urban areas. The introduction and rapid uptake of app-based vehicle sharing schemes can also have benefits, however, the report points to studies which show that their impact on the environment is not always positive. Especially e-scooter sharing schemes appear to attract users that would have otherwise walked or used public transport. While the use of shared e-scooters generates few direct environmental impacts, their green credentials may be questioned due to the substantial negative impacts associated to their materials, their manufacturing and their frequent collection for recharging purposes. Similarly, studies show that ride-hailing apps like Uber or Lyft do little to reduce emissions or congestion and actually draw people away from public transport.
