Bike recycling

About the website

The Bike recycling website was set up in Spring 2005 by Oxford Cycle Workshop, who have been running a successful bike recycling project in the form of a small shop in East Oxford for over three years. Probably every week the shop receives phone calls from people across the country wanting to donate bikes for re-use, however the economics of collecting bikes from across the country speak for themselves.

We already had knowledge of a few other projects similar to ours, but felt a directory of all bike recycling centres in the UK was something useful, easily achievable and fundable.

So we contacted some potential sponsors and soon found ourselves with the task of compiling the directory. This is not a finished directory, more a work in progress. Some projects may change or finish, new ones will arrive.

We are slowly expanding the site to encompass other aspects of cycling and reuse/recycling, and include anything relevant and interesting.

We need to keep the records updated as well, and would like to make better links between the cycle trade and recycling projects. To do this we need donations and funding sources, however big or small. We'd especially like to hear from people in the cycle trade who would be interested in supporting the project in any way. Please do contact us.

Why recycle bikes?

A bicycle is a long-lasting piece of equipment which is streets ahead of any other form of urban transport in terms of running costs, energy efficiency and speed over short journeys. Bike recycling is a perfect example of resource re-use with additional positive side effects; projects can encompass a number of different issues at the same time:

Resource re-use benefits the environment bicycle recycling requires very little energy and new resource input compared to manufacturing new bikes.

Community involvement and localisation: projects provide employment and keep money in the local economy. Also, because bike recycling is relatively easy to learn, projects can provide training to local people in bike maintenance and involve marginalised people such as the homeless and young offenders

Bike recycling increases access to cycling for people on low incomes and non-cyclists, because recycled bikes are cheaper than new bikes and generally safer than other second-hand bikes, making it easier and more attractive for people to try out cycling. Providing second-hand parts and maintenance classes, and hiring out workshop space for people to work on their own bikes all reduce the cost of cycling further.

Bike recycling promotes cycling, with all its attendant benefits such as reduced pollution and congestion on the roads and health benefits for cyclists.

Bike reuse and recycling as opposed to say washing machine reuse and recycling is a relatively cheap and easy option. There are a number of standard levels of generic components, the level of skill required to refurbish the bike at a basic level is lower than for other items, especially those containing electronics, and the cost of specialist tools, equipment and premises is relatively low.
Bikes are also more fun than washing machines...

Some bikes are more recyclable than others; for example old-style three-speed roadsters tend to be very durable - a thirty-year-old bike may require only basic servicing before going back on the road whereas modern mass-market models, particularly cheaper mountain bikes, are generally built of lower-quality materials, poorly assembled and designed to last only a few years at most. Unfortunately, most bikes sold today in high-street chains, catalogues, supermarkets etc. fall into this category. The higher-quality modern bikes (usually available from independent stores) are more suitable for recycling. Access to these at relatively low cost can encourage people to cycle where a mass-market or older bike is not appropriate, for example on long commutes where performance is an issue.