By Terezia Toth and Glen Mason
The Inner West Bike Hub has been making tracks over the last year – expanding the Hub shopfront, securing a new van to help with transportation of donated bikes and continuing repairing bikes throughout the pandemic. Plus, did you know that we’re also helping drive a circular economy?
Through the volunteer program, we repair second hand bikes, that would otherwise have gone to landfill, and donate them to people in need in the community. We also repurpose and rebuild bikes for sale. Thanks to our volunteers and talented mechanics we were able to repair over 600 bikes for donations and sales.
Approximately 100kg of CO2 goes into the production of a bike. By repairing and reusing 300 bikes last year, the Inner West Bike Hub contributed to saving around 50 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
Scraps, bikes and parts that can no longer be used are broken down and sorted for recycling. Aluminium and steel are taken to Manhari Recycling in Tottenham who sort and export around the world. The scrap metal is reused to make vehicles, containers, bridges, tools and more.
In the last year the Inner West Bike Hub recycled 3 tonnes of steel and 0.3 tonnes of aluminium. According to Recycling Magazine, approximately 1.67 tonnes of CO2 emissions is saved for every tonne of steel recycles. Recycling 1 tonne of aluminium saves 9 tonnes of CO2 emissions. This means over the last year the Hub has saved over 7.7 tonnes of CO2 emissions by recycling steel and aluminium scraps, bikes and parts that are no longer usable.
Recyclable rubber from bike tyres is taken to Tyrecycle in Somerton who reuse products for road construction, athletic and playground surfaces, tile adhesives, matting surfaces, and as an alternative energy resource for fossil fuels. The Hub has recycled over 400kg of tyres over the last year – saving rubber from going to landfill.
You can do your bit to help out too – become a volunteer, donate bikes, buy a secondhand bike instead of a new one, or simply to jump on the bike instead of the car whenever you can.
Become a volunteer
You don’t need bike maintenance experience to start volunteering, just the willingness to learn. Volunteer sessions run twice a week. Drop in and give it a go. For more information visit: www.communitybikehub.com.au/volunteering
Donate
Donate bikes, parts, accessories, tyres, tubes and event bike tools. Donated items are used to build bikes for community members in need. For more information visit: www.communitybikehub.com.au/donate
