How many people have an old bike or two in the garden shed or garage?! Well, if you’re one of them, think about bicycle recycling rather than leaving the bike there to gather dust and rust. There are different ways to undertake bicycle recycling so here are some suggestions.
Particularly if you have a bike in good condition, bicycle recycling may involve putting an advert in the local shop or newspaper and selling the bike on. If it’s in very good condition you could also sell the bike on ebay. If you are not successful in selling your old bike or feel that it is not in good enough condition to do so, consider bicycle recycling in a different way. There are a large number of bike recycling businesses across the country which are often happy to take any second hand bike, even if it is a very old model or in a state of disrepair. With the right tools and parts it can be relatively simple and inexpensive to refurbish a bike, and if a bike is beyond repair there may still be parts which can be salvaged.
Some bicycle recycling businesses sell the bikes on once refurbished, therefore offering a cheaper option than buying a new bike. Others offer the bikes for community use, for example, and there are also charitable organisations which send bikes to developing countries.
From an environmental perspective recycling your bike is a much better option than letting it rust away or end up in landfill. Refurbishing old bikes saves on the material and energy required to build a new bike.
To find a bicycle recycling company near you, check out the Guardian directory of bike recycling charities.
