We all know that bikes are great for our cities and our health. But what’s not so great about them is how some people abandon their bikes once they are no longer useful. In the Big Apple and similar urban environments, it’s not uncommon to see old bikes and rusted parts scattered throughout the city. And it’s not just those roaming city streets who find this problematic.
“The department of sanitation had listed bicycles as one of the top ten nuisance items that the workers hated to throw in the trucks,” said Karen Overton, founder of Recycle-a-Bicycle (RAB) in the video above. “Bikes on average can be about 30 pounds so having to heave those into trucks can be a problem.”
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Overton’s organization is trying to solve this dilemma by making sure that these old bikes are recycled or put to good use. RAB will take any unused, damaged or rusted bike and salvage the parts. As Truth Atlas reports, anything that can’t be reused is recycled. Just in 2013 alone, their recycling program reportedly salvaged more than 1,800 bikes and refurbished more than 500 of them. Impressively, they were able to divert 45,000 pounds of metal waste from landfills. Overton told the site, “Don’t throw your bike out! RAB will take it, no matter what condition it’s in.” And given their success so far, we say: Keep the old bikes coming!