The Science of the Swap Sustainability: When Carbon Accounting Meets the Circular Economy

This partnership with Arbor is a powerhouse of data and environmental advocacy providing validation for why Alberta Bike Swap exists. Arbor and Alberta Bike Swap are peers in sustainability, and we aren’t just pro-bike—we are technically proficient in the science of carbon reduction. Together, we are proving that the circular economy isn’t just a good idea—it’s a measurable necessity. 

We’ve always known that buying a used bike is better for the planet than buying a new car—but exactly how much better? At Alberta Bike Swap, we’ve always known that every bike sold is a win for the planet. But in a world of greenwashing, we believe in proof over promises. That’s why we’ve aligned with Arbor, a leader in the sustainability space, who speaks the same language: the language of data. We have the data. 

Arbor is a sustainability platform dedicated to transparency in environmental impact that helps organizations measure and showcase the environmental impact of their products. They are the experts in Life Cycle Assessments (LCA)—looking at the environmental cost of an item from the moment it’s manufactured to the moment it’s recycled. 

To ensure impact data is world-class, Laura of Alberta Bike Swap took the rigorous ISO 14064 verified, international standard for quantifying, monitoring, reporting, and verifying greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals. It helped calculate carbon footprint, manage GHG risks, verify emissions, and calculate Life Cycle Assessments of new versus used. This isn’t just napkin math. 

We know bikes are good for the planet and here is the data that proves it. Alberta Bike Swap fully understands the data to generate and verify high-level GHG and LCA environmental metrics. 

• The Commuter Shift and Impact: 14 years of bought and sold bikes shows that 22% of the bikes sold at our events are used specifically for commuting. ● The GHG Win: By calculating the average bike commute (zero GHG) against a car of the same distance, we’ve quantified the carbon we keep out of the atmosphere. 
• The Used Over New Paradox: a used bike is greener than a new electric vehicle due to the manufacturing carbon debt (LCA). 
• LCA Validation and Comparison: We’ve compared the total environmental cost of manufacturing a new car versus the minimal footprint of keeping a used bike in circulation. Every time a bike from our swap replaces a car trip, we aren’t just saving money—we’re saving the atmosphere, reducing road infrastructure, and traffic congestion too. 

We appreciate Arbor because they treat sustainability as a data-driven mission, not just a buzzword and especially no greenwashing.

Check out Arbor.eco to see how they are advancing environmental transparency, and join us at our next swap to be a part of the data-backed solution.