Thinking of finally getting rid of that old beater and replacing it with something more environmentally friendly? Retire Your Ride, Canada’s national vehicle recycling program, recently announced a new incentive to make that switch just a little more tempting.
In partnership with the Bicycle Trade Association of Canada (BTAC), Retire Your Ride is offering up to 70 percent off a new, high-end commuter bicycle from participating BTAC retailers to those who permanently retire their1995 or older vehicle through its recycling program.
Lisa Tait, program director of Retire Your Ride says that within a few days of the launch of the incentive last Monday, enquiries were coming in from across the country.
“Cars from the year 1995 and older pollute 19 times more than newer cars do, so anything to encourage people to, at the very least, educate themselves about those kinds of stats I think is a step in the right direction,” Tait says.
Participating bicycle manufacturers across the country include Specialized, Norco, Marin, Devinci, Opus (OGC), Rocky Mountain (Procycle), and Jamis (RB Inc.)
Other incentives to ditch the old gas guzzler include transit passes, car sharing program discounts, and $300 cash giveaways.
Retire Your Ride was launched February 19 in an effort to improve air quality and encourage the use of sustainable transportation. The goal is to get older vehicles off the roads and disposed of in an environmentally responsible way. Under the program, which runs until March 2011, more than 7,600 vehicles have already been “retired.”
“We have a whole network of environmentally responsible recyclers who pick up the cars or have them dropped off at their locations. They take all the toxic chemicals out of the car, the mercury switches, the tires, the oil, the windshield washer fluid—all the stuff that seeps into the ground and pollutes the earth,” Tait says.
Funded by the federal government to the tune of $92 million over four years, the program is delivered nationally by Clean Air Foundation and supported by a network of experienced regional delivery agents across the country as well as a national network of automotive recyclers.
“Really it’s an environmental program,” says Tait. “While there may be people who are not ready to give up their car—perhaps they are a two-car family and maybe we can encourage them to consider downsizing to one. So that is sort of our hope.”
To participate, those with vehicles from the year 1995 or older that are in running condition and have been registered and insured for the last six months (12 months in British Columbia) can call 1-877-773-1996 or log on to www.retireyourride.ca.
