So, your bicycle has had a good run, but it’s time to put it out to pasture. I know it’s tempting to throw that old bike in the trash, but not so fast! There are a number of ways to put that bike to good use!
If the bike is still useable, there are plenty of bicycle donation programs that would be happy to take the bike off your hands. These programs will repair any damage your bike has incurred over the years, and then turn it over to a group or individual in the community who could benefit from a bike. That’s not to say these programs employ bike fixing wizards; in order for them to take the bike, it needs to be in decent shape.
If your bike is beyond the point of repair, it still has its uses! Bike recycling programs, such as the International Bicycle Fund, takes in old bikes and strips them of parts such as the handlebar or seat, the tires, or the chain, and uses them on a different bicycle in need of the same make and model components. However, if the parts aren’t salvageable, bikes are still made up of easily recyclable materials such as metal alloy and rubber. Thus, the bike can be recycled and reused.
And, of course, there are those artisans that use discarded bike parts for upcycled home goods. We have a nice collection here on the Hipcycle website. Check them out here.
So, when it comes time to see off your old bike, please consider saving your bike from sitting in a garbage dump. It still has so many uses!
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