Cycling and auto parts retailer Halfords has launched a bike recycling scheme which will initially be trialled in its Wales stores but could be rolled out across the UK in the future.
Dubbed the ‘Pre-Loved’ scheme, customers are encouraged to trade in their old bikes for gift cards at Halfords stores. Bikes will then be serviced and resold with a discount.
Halfords said the aim of the initiative is to minimise waste while also offering customers more affordable options that have been serviced by Halfords in-store bike experts and come with a warranty from the retailer.
It comes at a time when the business said interest in cycling is at a record high in the UK. It recently revealed sales of adult bikes were up by 193% last year and, in a recent poll it commissioned, more than a third of cyclists said they bought a new bike during the pandemic.
The Pre-Loved scheme is available to customers with Carrera bikes, which are sold exclusively by Halfords. The goods will be inspected by a team of Halfords specialists and the customer will receive a gift card of a value dependent on the condition of the bike.
However, even if a bike is deemed to not be re-sellable, the customer will still get a £20 gift card for ensuring parts are recycled through Halfords, rather than taking the bike to landfill.
Once the second-hand Carrera bikes have been checked and repaired, they will be sold at a discounted price at the same location.
Halfords’ head of cycling, Sara Fillippardos, said the bike recycling scheme has “clear benefits” to owners and new customers alike.
“The scheme is also a way for us to stimulate more sustainable treatment of bikes and make sure that more bikes are used to their maximum before being discarded,” she explained.
The new bike recycling launch on 11 May at Halfords stores in Cwmbran, Carmarthen, Llanelli, and Merthyr Tydfil.
Read more about retail recycling schemes on Green Retail World
[Image credit: Halfords]
