Bike share programs find way to recycle old batteries

This week’s roundup is short due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Please join senior RSG contributor Paula Lemar in exploring this week’s news about DoorDash’s gifting program and bike sharing finding a way to recycle their old batteries. 

Bike share programs have been quietly polluting for years. Now companies like Lime and Lyft are improving design and operations to deliver on sustainability promises (Fortune)

Summary: Inside an industrial warehouse in San Francisco, Stan Jones was preparing for work. To the back of his Lyft e-bike, he secured a spare bike seat and kick stands. In the front carrier, he neatly packed a tackle box with spare bike bells, grips and a first aid kit. Donning tool belt, bike helmet, and high visibility vest, he was ready to hit the road.  

Jones is a unionized field bike mechanic for Bay Wheels, the regional public bicycle sharing scheme in California’s Bay Area. It’s operated by Motivate, a subsidiary of ride–hailing giant Lyft. Guided by a specially designed Lyft app, he spends the day cruising San Francisco’s streets to fix bikes and make inspections.

Jones’ role is one way that Lyft, the largest bikeshare provider in North America, is operating more efficiently and sustainably. The company has nine systems across the US, including Citi Bike in New York and Divvy in Chicago. It cuts emissions by repairing bikes in the field when possible, rather than transporting them to a depot, explains Caroline Samponaro, head of transit and micromobility policy at the company. “We try to complement the inherent need for the van with a variety of ways that we can minimize its impact,” she says….

My Take: I love seeing companies finding ways to clean up their messes, and recycling old batteries fits into that category. It sounds like these companies are also finding ways to cut emissions issues when repairing their e-bikes that are out for the public. They are also using easily swapped-out batteries on-site, making it more efficient to keep these bikes maintained and usable.

DoorDash Announces DashPass Membership Gifting and DashPass Annual Plan Sale (DoorDash News)

Summary: ‘Tis the season of giving, and this year, DoorDash is announcing new ways to give the best of DoorDash to loved ones, along with an exciting sale to make accessing the best of your neighborhood more affordable than ever!

Take the guesswork out of finding the perfect gift by offering your loved ones access to unlimited savings, members-only offers and exclusive items on DoorDash by Gifting a DashPass Membership.* A DashPass membership is the gift that keeps giving for any occasion, with savings all year-round. The best part? It’s a gift you won’t have to wrap! Here’s how it works:

Gifters will have the ability to gift 3, 6, and 12 month DashPass memberships through the app or the DashPass Gifting page. Plans are available at $29.97, $59.84 and $96 respectively.

To get ahead of the busy season, DashPass membership gifts can be scheduled to arrive in the recipient’s email inbox up to three months from purchase date.

Once purchased, the gifter will receive a confirmation email confirming the transaction….

My Take: I am one of those people who do their holiday shopping insanely early, so anyone who gives me deals before Thanksgiving catches my attention. I’m sure DoorDash isn’t the only company offering Black Friday deals and other discounts for the holiday season. If you want to gift memberships to your friends and family, check out your favorites to see what they are offering.

Uber’s new Driver and Courier Learning Center playlist (YouTube)

Thoughts: There are many features within the Uber app that drivers may not know about. Check out this video showing how to set your preferences and destinations so you can fully utilize your driver app.

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

-Paula @ RSG