Blackwood Bike Shed volunteers upcycle hundreds of bikes for charity

A group of retirees is diverting hundreds of old bicycles from landfill to help those in need both in Australia and overseas.

In the heart of Blackwood, in Adelaide's foothills, lies the small work shed hidden behind an old church.

Every Monday, the space is buzzing with activity, full of retirees volunteering their time to repair old and broken bikes.

For many Australians, retirement means taking it slow and putting down the tools, but the volunteers at the Blackwood Bike Shed are doing the exact opposite.

Volunteer David Channing said he enjoyed the work and company he shared.

"When you are a retiree and you have got all these skills what do you do with them," he said.

"You can sit at home and do nothing, or you do something productive."

Every five minutes or so a local stops by to drop off an unwanted bike while others pick up a recycled one for free or for a small donation.

The work piles up quite literally for the passionate volunteers, as hundreds of bikes are dragged out from dusty old sheds and donated to the bike shed.

The retirees tinker away, repairing the bikes by replacing parts and recycling what cannot be salvaged.

Last year alone the shed recycled more than six tonnes of steel.

Volunteer Peter Jones said the shed was doing its bit to reduce waste.

"[We] put as little as we can into landfill, give as much to charity as we can, just do your little bit," Mr Jones said.

"It's an attitude and professionalism. 

"We enjoy what we are doing and we are helping other people. What more can you do?"

The program is now also supporting people in developing nations who may otherwise have no mode of transport.

Hundreds of refurbished bikes are packed into 40-foot shipping containers and sent overseas to 20 different countries.

Containers of Hope CEO Christopher Moore said the donated bikes had the ability to change lives.

"The bikes are unbelievable because people can walk for hours to get to work or to get to school. This (a bike) means they can do it in a 10th of the time," Mr Moore said.

The pandemic has made it more challenging for the charity to send recycled goods overseas to vulnerable communities.

Mr Moore said the price of shipping containers had skyrocketed.

"COVID has knocked the living daylights out of it, because everything has gone up literally 100 per cent so containers now cost us 100 per cent more," he said.

"We would normally be able to get them for $,3500 to $4,000, now they are $7,500 to $8,000."

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.

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