Report calls on Government to set out a roadmap to boost reuse and repair

• White Paper suggests that significant healthcare cost savings are possible when more people cycle, particularly for diseases tied to inactivity.
• Savings can also be made in additional economic gains from more cycling across the UK, through reduced absenteeism and increased productivity.
• White Paper further adds that provision of affordable bikes can deliver an important source of support to families, whilst also contributing to improved air quality.

FCC Environment, one of the UK’s leading waste management companies, has published a new White Paper Bikes: A Vehicle of Opportunity, highlighting the far reaching social, economic, and environmental benefits of bicycle reuse and repair across the United Kingdom.

83% of British adults buy second-hand items and with the repair sector thriving as new bike sales decline, the White Paper calls for a national roadmap to scale up repair and reuse. The economic case is compelling with studies showing that for every £1 invested in cycling and active travel returns up to £4.30 in health and productivity benefits, while access to affordable bikes can deliver a threefold return on investment for disadvantaged families.

Alongside demonstrating the health benefits, the report highlights the role bicycles can play in driving positive social change. FCC Environment runs seven prison bike refurbishment initiatives across Great Britain, where over 2,400 bikes have been refurbished to date - contributing c.£119,499 in social value.

One project in Wigan, run in partnership with Wigan Council and Rebuild with Hope, provides prisoners with the opportunity to learn new skills to help remove barriers to employment upon their release. The programme has been a clear success, with 0% of participants re-offending on their release, compared to the national average of 65%.

Polling recently undertaken by YouGov, on behalf of FCC Environment, found that 64% of UK adults believe such programmes to be effective in upskilling prisoners for the world of work after their release. Furthermore, some 67% were likely to support a bike repair initiative in their local community if it helped reduce waste.

Commenting on the launch of the White Paper, Gemma Green, Reuse Development Manager at FCC Environment said: “While the third sector and waste and resource management sector are coming up with ideas to deliver repair and reuse services, the government needs to go further and faster. Bicycle repair and reuse schemes can play a huge role in tackling some of the challenges we face today, from reducing health inequalities, reducing reoffending rates as well as promoting greener modes of transport.”

“Prison Bike Programmes, like the ones run by FCC Environment, alongside local councils and communities serve as examples to government as to how we can support ex-offenders back into the workforce while ensuring that give unwanted bikes a second lease of life, reducing our waste and promoting a more circular economy.”