“Hey, Bungalowers. What’s up with all these bikes in the dumpster?”
– Bungalower Reader
UPDATE – A Lime official has informed Bungalower since this posting was originally shared that they meant to say “bikes” not “scooters” were in the dumpster.
Well, there’s a lot to dissect here so stick with us.
The dumpster pictured in the above photo is taken in front of Lime’s Parramore-based warehouse near the newly renamed Exploria Stadium. The dumpster is clearly full of some sort of vehicle but by the time we arrived on the scene, they had all been brought inside the building and we could no longer inspect them for ourselves.
That being said, we did reach out to Lime corporate who told us that they were actually Lime scooters, which are on their way to being “… recycled following the decommissioning of the bike program at UCF.” But the top layer looks to have tires that are much larger than the average Lime bike so we know at least a few bicycles are in there.
When we inquired as to whether or not this sudden purge was a sign that they would be moving their services out of Orlando, they assured us that that was not the case and that they were here to stay; provided the City of Orlando doesn’t change its tune at the end of the current bike share pilot program and decide they don’t like having dockless e-assist bikes in city limits after all.
Per the company, their recycling process for decommissioned bikes is not that dissimilar to how we recycle in our own houses or at a business in the sense that the bikes are broken down into their essential components to separate glass from plastic and metal by a team at a recycling center. The batteries, however, are removed by the Lime team prior to leaving their facility.
Bikes that are still in good working condition are transferred to other Lime communities. According to a company spokesperson, “We always consider donating bikes and when we can, we do. However, bikes in need of major repairs would not only potentially present a safety issue for a non-profit’s constituents, but it would also present a financial burden, which we do not feel is fair for a local non-profit to bear.”
