Dutch bike membership brand Swapfiets has announced a ‘bike amnesty’, where people can bring in their old, unwanted bikes and in return receive a first-month-free pedal or e-bike subscription.
Bikes can be brought into Swapfiets’ stores in London, Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, and Copenhagen, between June 3 and July 3, and they will then be recycled and turned into community bike racks.
Swapfiets co-founder and director of sustainability Richard Burger said the brand wants to "encourage Londoners to recycle their old bikes, and help declutter London’s local communities".
The offer applies only for new members.
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Swapfiets was founded in 2014 in the Netherlands. For a fixed monthly fee, members receive a bike or e-bike for their own use. When a member returns their bike, technicians recycle or repair it before it is given to someone else.
The brand says it has made this approach an “integral part” of its business model, with a single Swapfiets bike often being reused by multiple members.
Burger said: “We wanted to encourage Londoners to recycle their old bikes, and help declutter London’s local communities, and thought that our bike amnesty would be the perfect platform to provide them with a special discount, helping to encourage them to get out cycling again.
“As well as highlighting the benefits of recycling, we also want to show our members (and the rest of the world) that we’re a responsible brand and are passionate about making cities more liveable for everybody.
“We’re continuously working hard to ensure we achieve our ambitious goal of being 100% circular by 2025, committing to zero waste and pollution anywhere in the entire life cycle and designing products that help draw attention to our efforts and encourage others to get involved too.”
