Guide to Organizing & Implementing
an International Recycling (Reusing) Bicycle Programs

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Redistributing bikes to people who will use them is a great idea and can be a win-win experience. But, bike distribution in Less Developed Countries (or communities) (LDC) can be good or bad depending upon how its done.

People aware of a surplus of bikes in there community may want to organize a shipment to a destination that can absorb them and make good use of them: Just as going to an affluent suburban mall and trying to hand out used bikes might be a misdirected effort, so sending bikes to an LDC can be misdirected.  If instead of going to an affluent mall, you create a bike programs and provided bikes for a social service agency in Europe or North America that works with disadvantaged youth, you will positively change some lives.  The same can occur in a LDC.

We generally advise against just dumping or giving away the bikes at their destinations. Recycling bikes is most successful, and most sustainable, when it is combined with a program the requires recipients to demonstrate a commitment by investing an appropriate amount of time and/or money to receive a bike.

Benefits of International Bicycle Recycling Programs

• Helping poor, women, children, and HIV positive.
• Empowering the people.
• Giving people hope, a chance and self dignity.
• Improving access to health care, educational and social services.
• Developing micro-enterprises and employment opportunities.
• Empowers woman by increasing their mobility.
• Helping women to achieve their potential in their community.
• Strengthening families and community by reducing travel time.
• Improving the delivery of services by police, health care workers, and other extension workers by increasing their mobility.
• To improving economic productivity by improving transportation.
• Road safety education.
• Improve self-sufficiency.
• Creating sustainable communities.

Structuring An International Bicycle Recycling Program

Past experience shows that if the recipients have to pay for the bikes, even a nominal fee like US$$5, $10 or $20 and /or make a time commitment like attending a maintenance class or other life-skills program, the bike will get to a more serious home; the recipients will tend to respect them more, ride them more, take care of them better and use them longer.  Charging a nominal fee also helps to generate a revolving fund that can be used to finance a future shipment, making the program more sustainable.  The shipment of bikes should also be done in conjunction with a training programs, so that the bicycles can be kept viable longer.  The bikes become an asset, instead of just a consumable.  (For example see Village Bicycle Project)  If there is a surplus in the revolving fund, the money can be used to buy tools to help subsidize someone getting into the bicycle repair business (employment generation.)

Key Points of a Recycle Bicycle Shipping:

1. Find an overseas destination and a partner organization that is strongly committed to bicycle transport. Ideally the impetus for a shipment will have initially come from this organization. (see "point for success")
2. Organize a local project committee and assign tasks.
3. Find available (donated) warehouse space to store the bikes collected.
4. Start a campaign to collect enough useable bikes, (400-500), bike tools, spare parts and accessories to fill a 40 ft high cube container. accessories.  Partnering with churches, civic organizations, return Peace Corps Volunteer groups, bike clubs, schools and businesses can be helpful to round up more bikes.
5. After you have about half the bikes start a campaign to raise the money for the shipping. A companion strategy is to ask everybody who is donating a bike to also donate a $10 or $5 "administrative fee".  (In the U.S., if you have non-profit status with the IRS, all of these donations are tax-deductible.)
6. Get tools (15mm pedal wrenches, adjustable wrenches, metric hex wrench set, penetrating oil, wire cutters) and wire or wire-ties for the forthcoming work party.
7. Have a work party  "process" / "prep" / "flatten" the bikes: a) lower the seats, b) turn and lower the handlebars,  c) loose the handlebar stem and d) remove the pedals and tie/wire them to the frame, so they stay with the bike. A crew of 10-12 is usually good.
8. Get a dozen pieces of large, heavy cardboard (such as refrigerator boxes) or donated plywood. It should be bug-free and sturdy, but it doesn't have to be new. It used between levels of bikes and helps in loading the container and can be used at the destination.  You don't have to make discrete levels and by not doing so you can actually fit in more bikes, but loading the container can be a bit more treacherous, see #11 below.
9. Research where to get the best deal on a shipping container. Arrange to get a shipping container to the warehouse at a time you can get people there to help you load it.
10. Usually, you need to prepare a custom declaration and manifest to send along with the container.  Assign a designated person to categorize and count the large objects that go into the container (i.e. road bikes, mountain bikes, 20" wheel bikes, 16" wheel bikes, frames, wheels, etc.)
11. Load the container with bikes.  Loading a contain is both an art and a science -- a good sense of spatial relationship is a plus for the chief loader.  There is a learning curve so the more you do it the more bike you can get into a given space.  But, be mindful that the bike will eventually have to be unloaded as well.  Place the first row of bike vertically across the back of the container, usually alternating the direction of the bike.  Try to have all the bikes in a given row as close to the same height as you can.  Because the height of a bike is partly determined by wheel size you can get a long way in archiving your height goal by calling for all road-bike for a row, or all mountain bike for a row, etc.. If the bikes are nested well you should be able to get at least eighteen or nineteen adult bicycles across.  Once the bikes are in place you can often get the "top" "more level" by pulling out the handlebar stem, which should have been loosened during the work party (see "step 7" above.) When this row is finished put a piece of cardboard or plywood over the top of it and put a row above it.  There should be space to lay bikes on top of this row as well, until they are packed to the ceiling.  It is sometimes easier to do a second row on the floor, interlacing the wheels of the rows and then cover it with cardboard to make a platform for loading the bikes and parts to the ceiling over your first "column".  You can put spare parts and other items (if you have them: books, computers, sewing machines, office equipment, etc.) in the open spaces between the bikes. After you have first column stacked to the ceiling, start or continue with the second column, third column, etc., continue the procedures until you work your way out of the container.  The bottom row can be a two person operation, but as you get to the upper rows it is best with three or four sets of hands.  The more the loaders understand the spatial relationship of how things fit the most tightly in the container, the more bikes (and value) you will be able to ship in one container.

Key Points for Success of an International Recycle Cycle Program:

1. Good contacts at the recipient end,
2. Thorough knowledge of the culture and customs of the recipients.
3. Strong local investment in the program by the recipient community.
4. Well prepared and organized companion programs in bicycling, maintenance and repair, at the receiving end.

Have fun.

If you have ideas to add to this section please write us.

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The International Bicycle Fund is an independent, non-profit organization. Its primary purpose is to promote bicycle transportation. Most IBF projects and activities fall into one of  four categories: planning and engineering, safety education, economic development assistance and promoting international understanding. IBF's objective is to create a sustainable, people-friendly environment by creating opportunities of the highest practicable quality for bicycle transportation. IBF is funded by private donation. Contributions are always welcome and are U.S. tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

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