Halfords announces 'pre-loved' Carrera bike recycling scheme
The retail giant has said it will trial the scheme across four stores in Wales before potentially launching it UK-wide
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The cycling retailer, Halfords, has announced the launch of a new bike recycling scheme called the pre-loved scheme which will be trialled across four stores in Wales before possibly being launched nationwide. The scheme will only apply to Halfords' brand Carrera bikes however.
The scheme, that begins today (May 11) is to encourage people to trade their old or 'pre-loved' bikes for store gift cards that will give a discount that can be used on other items, such as a new bike.
It has been put in place to minimise waste of materials as well as Halfords offering more affordable options to customers. The bikes will be serviced by the shop's experts to make sure they're safe to ride with a Halfords warranty.
The stores where this new scheme will be trialled in Wales will be in Llanelli, Merthyr Tydfil, Carmarthen, and Cwmbran. Customers must take their second-hand Halford own brand Carrera bike to one of the trial stores to take advantage of the scheme.
The customer will receive a gift card but the price will be determined by the condition of the bike. Even if the bike is beyond salvageable they will receive a minimum gift card of £20.
The parts will then be recycled through the shop potentially for other bikes or to be sold/used as spares instead of them being taken to a landfill site.
If the bikes are able to be brought back to a rideable condition they will be sold at the same store with a 12-month warranty.
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Halfords' head of cycling, Sara Fillipardos says: "We are thrilled to be launching our 'Pre-Loved' bike scheme, offering clear benefits to both owners, who are offered an easy and sustainable way to rid themselves of their old bikes, and of course customers who will now have access to a new Carrera bike at more affordable price.
"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."
The reason that Halfords is bringing this scheme to its stores for trial is for sustainability, but also because cycling has hit a new height in popularity during the last year with sales of adult bikes up 193 per cent according to Halfords' data.
A Halfords commissioned poll said that a third of cyclists stated they bought a new bike in the pandemic with a further 37 per cent saying they were planning on buying for themselves or a family member in the future.
Tim Bonville-Ginn is a freelance writer who has worked with Cycling Weekly since 2020 and has also written for many of the biggest publications in cycling media including Cyclingnews, Rouleur, Cyclist and Velo.