Tube Recycling Hero:Christopher Czambel is the Operations Manager for Bike and Roll Chicago, a bicycle and Segway rental and tour company. Christopher started out his 2012 season as a member of the distribution team, which required him to move equipment and resources between all rental locations. With a fleet of over 300 bicycles, they go through a lot of tubes.

Why Chris Recycles: Christopher began to notice the amount of broken rims, bicycle parts, tires, and tubes that where simply being thrown out. He began to investigate into company’s who re-purpose these materials and found Alchemy.

After presenting companies to the head mechanic, he was told that if Bike and Roll had to pay for shipping, it wasn’t worth their time to spend the money. Determined to reuse these tubes, Christopher stored used tubes at his house and donated them to other bike shops around Chicago who where already sending to Alchemy. It was through these shops, he learned that being an authorized Trek dealer, which Bike and Roll is, SHIPPING IS FREE!

Christopher started the 2013 season, making tube recycling a number one priority. He installed a collection bin for members as well as a bin at each mechanic location. Using boxes from QBP orders, from April until the end of the Alchemy tube drive last week, Bike and Roll collected over 800 tubes. He also made friends with the local Bike Police Patrol Unit mechanics and got them to donate their used tubes to the cause.

But Christopher won’t stop there: his mission is to get bike tube recycling stations installed throughout Chicago, and he’s partnering with The Active Transportation Alliance to make it happen.