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Recycling cycles for Christmas

People getting new bikes this Christmas are being encouraged not to just throw out their old bikes, but to recycle them through a new charity scheme.

Bikes taken to Premier Waste Management recycling centres across the North East will be reconditioned, and may even benefit communities in Africa.

Premier Waste Management has teamed up with a charity, Recyke y’ Bike in Newcastle and Sports Recycler, a social enterprise in South Shields, both of which specialise in bringing unwanted bikes back to life. Once restored the bikes are either sold on here in the North East at an affordable price to help fund the charity and sustain activities for the good of the community, or donated to a scheme which ships bikes out to West and South Africa.

The African scheme provides support to health projects, providing doctors, nurses and midwives with bikes to reach otherwise inaccessible villages in some of the poorest countries in the World. The same scheme donates children’s bikes to Afghanistan.

Premier Waste Management is running the scheme at the Annfield Plain recycling centre, County Durham and Middlefield household waste recycling centre, South Tyneside until 31 January.

Ashley Cooper, Managing Director, Disposal Division said: “We are a throwaway society and in the past we wouldn’t have thought twice about discarding our old bikes, even though they still have a use. This year we have decided to run the scheme to show everyone in the region that our unwanted possessions are resources, not waste.

“There is a very great need for second hand bikes, whether it be as affordable bikes in the North East or for vital work in Africa.

“This is such a simple way for us all to help out some of the most deprived people in the World, and really demonstrates that one man’s trash is another’s treasure.”

For more information on how to donate your bikes, and the projects involved go to www.premierwaste.com or call 0191 384 4000.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .