Trek Bicycle Enters the Circular Economy With Refurbishment Program

·26 min·2 clips

Trek Bicycles launches Red Barn Refresh, a manufacturer-led bike trade-in program to keep bikes out of landfills.

The episode begins with host Joe Keenan introducing Eric Buehrling, Director of Brand at Trek Bicycles, to discuss the new Red Barn Refresh program. Eric explains the program was developed after Trek studied product life cycles and found many bikes end up in landfills prematurely. Red Barn Refresh allows customers to return Trek bikes to local shops for credit or disposal, with bikes then shipped to Trek's original red barn in Waterloo, Wisconsin for refurbishment. The program aims to keep bikes on the road longer, reduce waste, and connect usable bikes with new owners. Eric details Trek's sustainability initiatives, including reducing single-use plastics in packaging and shifting to ocean freight to cut emissions. He reveals that Trek's sustainability report shows 96.3% of emissions are Scope 3, stemming from the supply chain, which is the focus of their efforts. The conversation explores why consumers discard bikes early, citing convenience and avoidance of secondary markets like Craigslist. Eric describes the refurbishment process, involving a 150-point inspection, deep cleaning, and part replacements, with bikes then sold online in a dedicated section of Trek's website. He notes the program may expand to non-Trek bikes in the future. The episode touches on Trek's use of Bicycle Blue Book for valuations and the inclusion of professional athletes' bikes in the resale inventory. Eric discusses customer diversity, from affordable bikes to high-end models, and the common need for safe cycling infrastructure. He emphasizes that sustainability is now integrated into every team's objectives at Trek, using OKRs for accountability. The episode concludes with Eric highlighting Trek's transparency in reporting emissions and commitment to continuous improvement.

As heard by us

A grounded interview on how Trek's refurbishment program connects lifecycle waste goals with repair, intake, and retail operations.

Trek Bicycles' Red Barn Refresh turns a manufacturer-led trade-in and refurbishment effort into a concrete retail story. Eric Buehrling, Director of Brand at Trek Bicycles, lays out how Trek looked at waste across the bike life cycle, from materials and manufacturing to shipping…

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Why you'd press play

You want the mechanics behind a bike trade-in; Trek's Red Barn Refresh brings you from sustainability research to the wash, teardown, and rebuild.

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