My first go at this...does anyone know how to collect food waste on a bike/trike?

[Richard Northridge]

I work for a social enterprise which, among other things, collects & processes food waste. We are Interested in shifting to a low carbon method of collecting food waste in biodegradable bags - dense & heavy material - can it be done by bike/trike? Any ideas would be very welcomed. The amount needed to be shifted /day is about 1500kgs.

 

[JuicyBike]

Yes.

Tell us some more Richard. 1500 Kg per vehicle per day or more than one vehicle? Over what sort of distance per journey and how many journeys? Would you be able to include a pedal assisting rider to remain within the UK law, or are you prepared to add road vehicle testing, licensing, insurance costs into your equation?

There are perfectly formed electric vehicles operating in the UK in various guises - in parks and on golf courses for instance. But for legal use on the highways then a converted trike may be your most economical solution, so long as your possibly high profile (why not) project stays within the 15 mph, pedal assist limitations.

Take a look at some of the more powerful kits listed on these forums. Other suggestions will be along shortly...

Good luck to you!

 

[celedep]

What about a vehicle that has been around for many years for this job, an electric milk float.

 

[flecc]

I have plenty of experience with heavy towing using e-bikes Richard, but even 100 kilos is asking a bit too much, especially if there are any slopes involved, for braking as well as power reasons. So unless there are very many separate short trips involved each day, your loads probably won't be practical.

There are goods tricycles on the market similar to the taxitrikes, but if you are in Britain it's illegal to have them with electric power since a 60 kilo weight limit applies then, impossible to meet.