Bicycle waste is a huge problem, and not one the transportation sector is always eager to talk about. In the frenzy to accelerate active travel, the less glamorous side of pedal power got swept under the carpet. This leaves municipalities in a major dilemma: how to propel the number of bicycle users, while addressing the concerning volume of wastage? Luckily, OCB has a solution.
At the end of 2024, Vancouver released its annual active mobility figures, heralding the growing rate of cycling, expansion in infrastructure, and safety improvements.
These are feats which Vancouver – like municipalities across the globe- clamor to celebrate, and rightly so given the instrumentality of active travel in reducing transport-related emissions.
However, alongside growing rates of bicycling, comes a growing volume of waste as discarded bicycles pile up in landfills having reached the end of their lives. In fact, it is estimated that almost 48,000 bikes are sold each day around the globe, with 15 million discarded each year. In the USA alone each year, 10 million inner tubes end up in landfills.
This bicycle waste is a growing significant burden on municipalities’ resources, with towns and cities across the country (and indeed the globe) struggling to process the overwhelming volume of discarded aluminum, steel and rubber… all of which are recyclable!
With the popularity of e-bikes continuing to rise, this problem is about to get a whole lot more complex.
As Our Community Bikes’ Cavan Hua told a recent global study into bike recycling, bicycles are in fact incredibly complicated to recycle, and in many cases refurbishment is not possible.
“Some of the bikes that get donated to us, realistically, are beyond repair. People mean well but a lot of the times the bikes, especially this past year with the pandemic, only about 10-15% are actually usable for the shop … Pre-pandemic the numbers were much healthier, like around 30-40% of bikes that are donated to us were able to be refurbished”
Part of this problem is the production line. Major bike manufacturers including Giant, Specialized and Trek have pledged to clean up their production lines, implementing more rigorous reuse and recycling procedures and policies; meanwhile voices like Shift Cycling Culture have called for a comprehensive move away from linear cultures towards a more circular economy in the bicycle industry. These changes are of course to be celebrated, however, as yet, they have not had the substantive impact on bicycles’ lifecycle required to meet sustainability goals.
At the other end of the spectrum, failure to inject resources into recycling and reuse initiatives has bolstered this growing mountain of waste.
However, Our Community Bikes has found a solution. By collecting used bicycles, refurbishing them and donating final products and individual parts to those in need across Vancouver and beyond, OCB is slowly eroding the mountains of bikes clogging up landfills.
Every year, OCB receives hundreds of bicycle donations from individual donors and partner organizations including KidsSafe, Sanctuary Cafe, United Strangers and many others across the city and region.
This is successfully slashing bicycle waste in a measurable way.
“We were able to save 72 tonnes of CO2 in 2023 with potential further reduction of 1163 tonnes. This is the equivalent of 5.5 million kilometres of driving saved each year!” Says Sarah Thomas, OCB’s Executive Director.
These efforts are not just good for the planet, they are invaluable for Vancouver’s local cycling community. Through its Pedals for the People OCB is able to donate refurbished bicycles to those in need. Indeed, in 2023 alone, 255 bikes were donated; which, aided by the Oppenheimer Park Clinic which provides free bike servicing, is extending the lifespan of bicycles on Vancouver’s streets.
OCB’s latest project, Bicycle Recycle, Reuse, and Repair Pilot, a partnership with the City of Richmond will now bring this valuable work to Vancouver’s neighbor.
Bike waste is a challenge Richmond City knows all too well. Each year the city receives around 500 bikes to its scrap metal depot.
“We are gathering bicycles and parts from the Richmond Depot and bringing them back to Our Community Bikes for processing, repair, and refurbishment” says Valerie, the project’s manager.
The project, which began in September and will run for a year initially, will not just recycle bikes, it also addresses wider bicycling accessories, which are also placing strain on waste disposal systems, with other parts such as wheels, tires, frames and even baskets included in OCB’s mandate.
“While many of the bikes may not be refurbishable in their entirety, we will be able to reclaim usable parts to repurpose to their highest and best use. Parts that can be reused on another bike will be, those that are no longer road-worthy will be recycled or distributed to people for crafts and art projects where possible,” Valerie continues.
And the refurbished bikes? They will head to a new home, distributed through the Pedals for the People program with the help of The International Refugees Support Foundation (an organization based in Richmond providing essential items to help new immigrant families integrate into the community), Vancouver Coastal Health’s Richmond Mental Health Team, and other referral partners.
“Bicycles have been identified as something that would be useful for many families to help with transportation and navigating the city,” asserts Valerie.
Are you a Richmond resident and seeking to secure a bike? Apply online to the “Pedals for the People” program HERE.
