One hundred bicycles were given to children in inner Sydney, the Illawarra and near Lakes Entrance in Victoria by Revolve Recycling, a social enterprise that gives new life to old rides.
Revolve Recycling collects unused and unwanted rides from Sydney’s sheds, verandas and garages and gives them new life – with children’s bikes going for free to children in need and adult bikes being sold at affordable rates.
“Every kid deserves the joy of a bike. We keep old bikes from going to landfill and give them a new life, including with kids who may be disadvantaged,” said Peter Shmigel, Founder of Revolve Recycling. “In 12 months since we’ve started, that’s included: Indigenous kids in Sydney’s inner city, the Hunter and the Illawarra; Ukrainian and other refugee kids, and; kids in disadvantaged country areas.”
Shmigel is the former Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Council of Recycling and of Lifeline Australia.
Last week, Revolve Recycling dropped 15 repaired children’s bikes to Tribal Warrior, a youth mentoring initiative in Redfern, as part of a monthly delivery to them. Revolve is also working with Tribal Warrior to show children how to maintain their bikes, as well as creatively paint them up.
Children’s bikes were also delivered to two schools near Lakes Entrance in Victoria, an area impacted by bushfires, in support of AusCycling, the peak body for cycling in Australia.
“Bikes give kids fun, fitness, and learnings like responsibility and rights. We want every Australian kid – regardless of background – to have access to one,” Shmigel said. “Every bike is an opportunity for circularity too.”
There are about 500,000 unused or unwanted bikes in Sydney and about 3.5 million nationally. Annual bike sales are more than 1.5 million per year with the fastest growing segment being e-bikes (powered by batteries). Revolve Recycling has collected, recycled or redeployed about 4000 Personal Transport Vehicles in its first 12 months, saving more than 40 tonnes of material from landfill while employing people of disadvantaged backgrounds.
For more information, visit: www.revolverecycling.net
