Waste giant FCC Environment has called for a national programme to boost reuse of bicycles.
The firm published a white paper on the social, economic and environmental benefits of reducing the volume of discarded bikes in the UK.
It said the “vast majority” of the “thousands” of cycles dumped at household waste and recycling centres every year were “salvageable”.
Titled Bikes: A vehicle of opportunity, the white paper said studies showed every £1 invested in active travel returned up to £4.30 in health and productivity benefits.
FCC referenced a project run in partnership with Wigan Council and charity Rebuild with Hope, which has diverted 6.8 tonnes of bikes from the waste stream into a repair system operated by prisoners.
So far no participants have reoffended after release.
The white paper also said polling had shown that two-thirds of adults supported the concept of a bike-repair initiative in their local community if it helped reduce waste.
Gemma Green, reuse development manager at FCC Environment, said: “Prison bike programmes… serve as examples to government as to how we can support ex-offenders back into the workforce while ensuring that we give unwanted bikes a second lease of life, reducing our waste and promoting a more circular economy.”
