A COMMERCIAL waste company is set to launch its summer campaign to reduce waste and encourage even more people onto their bikes in North Yorkshire.

Following the success of Yorwaste’s ‘Get reCycling’ initiative last summer, which saw it partnering with cycle experts to get hundreds of unwanted and unused cycles back in action, Yorwaste has partnered with The Recycle Project CIC to replicate its hit bike-based campaign this month.

Get reCycling 2022 kicks off with a public appeal for unused and unwanted bikes to be donated to one of Yorwaste’s 22 Household Waste Recycling Centres throughout York and North Yorkshire, for new life to be breathed into them courtesy of experts from The Recycle Project CIC.

Some of the refurbished bikes will be donated to good causes, including to Ukrainian families who are taking refuge in North Yorkshire, to ensure everyone has the opportunity to enjoy the many benefits of cycling.

Alison Shepherd, from Helping Heart for Ukraine in Northallerton, who is helping to match the bikes with refugees in North Yorkshire, said: “Our organisation is committed to providing ongoing support to the people of Ukraine who have come to live in our area, and these bikes have the potential to give the gift of independence and normality to a lot of people. 

“It will allow children to have something of their own, enabling them to have some well-deserved fun, whilst for many adults, it will bring self-sufficiency and freedom, particularly for those who rely on their sponsors to get around. What’s more, it will give families a chance to connect and enjoy the North Yorkshire countryside in one of the most enjoyable ways possible.”

The Brownlee Foundation, spearheaded by Olympic triathlete, Jonny Brownlee, is also set to receive bikes to help with its aim to inspire children from all backgrounds to enjoy sport and lead active lifestyles. The remaining cycles will then be sold for proceeds to be ploughed back into community initiatives.

James Todd, marketing executive at Yorwaste, said: “We’re delighted to be running our Get reCycling campaign again this summer. Last year, we collected over 1,000 bikes, and through the generosity of the public and charity partners, we were able to genuinely change lives by gifting many of them to people who might not otherwise have access to a bicycle.

"What’s more, we were able to stop a whole load of forgotten and neglected bikes rotting away in garages and sheds - keeping more waste out of the landfill.”

The company will also run a series of pop-up Get reCycling workshops throughout North Yorkshire this August, where specialists will be on hand to provide hands-on, practical advice to members of the public to help them keep their bikes roadworthy.