Wednesday December 24th 2025
Photo by Chan Hyuk Moon (Unsplash)
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Drew Sandelands
Hundreds of bikes destined for the scrapheap have been salvaged and revamped for people who can’t afford one.
Workers at Glasgow’s household waste and recycling centres have been working with St Paul’s Youth Forum (SPYF), a charity, on a project to refurbish discarded bikes.
They are sent to HMP Barlinnie Bike Works to be repaired before SPYF distributes them to people identified through a network of support that includes schools, doctors’ surgeries, social work, housing associations and other charities.
Over 200 bikes have been diverted from Glasgow City Council’s waste centres since October. There are 150 young people on a waiting list for a restored bike.
By the time a pilot programme ends in March, the council’s waste management team hopes to have provided the charity with 500 bikes.
Ricky Baxter, cycle hub coordinator at SPYF, said: “People look at an old bike and maybe can’t see any value in it, but by the time it goes through our whole system, the difference it makes to the end user, it’s great.
“When you’re dealing with families who don’t have a lot of money, or people who’ve got no bike, or a school with no bikes, and being able to give them that bike for free and just see the happiness: it’s tremendous.
“You can buy a second-hand bike for £100, but in a lot of communities, £100 is a lot of money that’s maybe needed for feeding the family that week.”
He added that staff at the waste centres have been “absolutely fantastic”.
Cllr Laura Doherty, SNP, city convener for neighbourhood services and assets, said: “This is a great scheme that’s a win-win for the environment.
“We want to reduce the waste the city produces but also encourage active travel and this remarkable scheme manages to do both.
“Most of the bikes we receive at our waste centres can be salvaged and brought back to life for future use. The staff and prisoners in HMP Barlinnie’s repair shop deserve great credit for the skill they show in making discarded bikes fit for purpose once more.
“Ultimately, the scheme is about supporting young people to get on a bike and follow a more active, sustainable lifestyle. SPYF has done a fantastic job on this scheme.
“Anyone leaving a bike at one of our waste centres should know there’s a good chance it will go to a great cause.”
Previously, bikes left at waste centres would go to metal recycling. Staff were keen to find a way to re-use the bikes and, following a recommendation from Cycling Scotland, contacted SPYF. The charity has run a bike refurbishment and redistribution project since 2022.
The pilot programme has been backed by the Scottish Government’s people and place fund and supported by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport and Cycling Scotland, who will monitor progress to see if it can be introduced in other areas.
Glasgow’s household waste and recycling centres at Shieldhall, Dawsholm and Polmadie are open seven days a week from 8am to 6pm. The Easter Queenslie centre is currently closed for redevelopment.
Over the festive period all centres will be closed on Christmas Day and January 1 only.
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