Regardless of the results at the polls, resist temptation to toss election signs in the trash.

Kent Peterson, a bicycle advocate and bike shop mechanic who manages Kent’s Bike Blog, harnessed the recycling potential of leftover political paraphernalia as a way to prevent puddles from splashing up at him as he tooled around the Pacific Northwest on a fold-up bike.

He devised a technique for building bicycle fenders with rigid plastic boards often used in political yard signs.Peterson crafted a handlebar basket out of corrugated plastic signage.

Peterson crafted bike bags for the handlebars and behind the seat out of old political signs – handy for stowing sunscreen, snacks and other necessities on road trips.“It’s quite easy to work [with],’’ Peterson says.

“It’s kind of like origami, in a way.”

Catch the rest of the article via Discarded Campaign Signs Recycled into Clever Bicycle Accessories – Earth911.com.

Photo: Kent Peterson The project worked nicely enough to encourage him to adapt the idea for building other bike accessories.