Contribution of bike-sharing to urban resource conservation: The case of free-floating bike-sharing

Abstract

Abstract It has become increasingly clear that a promising way to address waste-related issues resides in waste prevention by resource conversation. Research has therefore started to focus on preventing waste production by improving resource conservation capabilities. This study investigates how the societal transition to the fourth generation of bike-sharing system, known as free-floating bike-sharing (FFBS), presents not only a technological leap but also an environmental one by fostering stronger resource conservation capabilities which can be promoted by marketers. Taking Beijing as an example, a quantitative analysis compares the changes in resources utilization before and after the emergence of an FFBS scheme as compared to the third generation of bike-sharing systems, called station-based bike-sharing (SBBS), and of privately-owned bikes (POB). The results show that FFBS can improve the resources utilization of the urban bicycle system. It can reduce aluminium consumption by 15.3%, steel consumption by 10.6%, plastic consumption by 13.0% and rubber consumption by 18.4% for each bicycle trip throughout the city. FFBS presents, therefore, transformative properties for both society and the environment by showing greater potential in resource conservation especially in comparison to SBBS.