GTcommuter

https://www.thegreenguide.com/doc.mhtml?i=ask&s=lube

I'm curious if anyone knows anything about or uses organic based chain lubricants. I haven't seen them specifically for sale for bikes anywhere. I'd like to use them if they were available, but otherwise I'm satisfied with the air and water pollution that my bike already prevents compaired to cars.

supcom

Petroleum is organic.

In the grand scheme of things, your bike has a negligable impact on the environment no matter what you use for lubricant.

DCCommuter

Don't get too satisfied. Manufacturing your bike, and eventually disposing of it, creates significant toxic waste. The bike factories in Taiwan are environmental disasters. So are mines, and there's almost nothing on a bike that didn't come out of a mine or an oil well.

Lubricating your bike, on the other hand, is pretty environmentally benign. You might use 8 oz of oil over the life of your bike. In the miniscule quantities we use it in, oil will degrade due to the effects of sunlight and oxygen and is not an environmental factor.

Cleaning your bike, particularly the chain, can be problematic. There are vegetable-based and biodegradable degreasers, but they still aren't stuff you'd want to pour down the drain.

phantomcow2

When you do clean your chain, save the liquid remains and bring it to a recycling center or gas station

lilHinault

Jojoba oil, the one natural oil that has been used as a substitute for sperm whale oil, which is considered the absolute best for fine machinery. So, you grow some jojoba, or harvest some, squeeze those beans, and there ya gotcha oil.

karmadog

The liquid remains are also good for getting rid of weeds on your driveway.

Bikewer

For many years, the very finest motor oil was Castor Bean oil, the orginal namesake of Castrol. Any trip to local M/C or Auto racing tracks had the distinctive odor of this lubricant. The only downside was that it was prone to leave a lot of deposits in the engine. No problem for serious racers, who would take down the heads and valves after each race.

Primitive internal-combustion engines used the "total loss" oiling system, which essentially meant that after it was pumped through the engine, it simply fell on the ground. (or the pilot's face, in WWI-vintage aircraft)

Eggplant Jeff

Non-toxic environmentally friendly degreasers (Simple Green works great for example) are just that, non-toxic. Pour 'em down the drain, water the grass with 'em, drink 'em, whatever, not too bad.

UNTIL you use them.

Now they are contaminated with all the NON-environmentally friendly gunk that was on whatever you were degreasing. At that point you would want to consider disposing of them at an appropriate place.

Even if you use environmentally friendly oil on your chain, after degreasing you're going to have metal deposits, dirt, and road grime mixed in there so I'd still recommend taking it to an appropriate place for disposal.