Walmart donating unsaleable bikes to Big Bike Giveaway

This year’s Big Bike Giveaway Event, presented by Pulse Spin Studio will be bigger and better than ever thanks to a partnership between Goodwill Industries and four London-area Walmart Canada stores.

Walmart Canada will provide Goodwill Industries with bikes deemed unsaleable, which will in turn be repaired and salvaged by Pulse Spin Studio to be used in the Big Bike Giveaway, an annual event that gives free bikes to the London community.

Creating zero waste across Walmart’s operations is a global Walmart sustainability goal and today Walmart Canada diverts 80% of their waste from municipal landfills. Among 12 dedicated programs to divert specific waste products, unsaleable bikes at Walmart Canada are generally sent for metal recycling. Instead, London-area Walmart stores will provide these bikes to Goodwill Industries to support the local community.

Last November, pictures taken outside the Wal-Mart near Huron and Highbury and posted to Facebook by Susan Hastings-Campbell showed approx 20 perfectly good bicycles in a dumpster.

The entire community is welcome to stop by the event on Sunday October 2nd at 12pm. Lineups for a free bike usually start an hour prior as participants must register first. The concept is simple, first-come-first-serve (while quantities last), only one bike issued to each person and you must be in attendance to receive a bike.

Another way that Londoners can get a free bike through Big Bike Giveaway is if they belong to a program within a non-profit social service or agency in London. We encourage people to ask the leaders of their organization to request to be on the waiting list to receive a free bike. Big Bike Giveaway reserves the first lot of bikes for people currently working with agencies that have deemed certain people in-major-need of community support.

The goal of Big Bike Giveaway this year is to provide the London community with 250-300 free bikes. Used bicycle donations from the community can be made to the program by calling 519-200-5496 or emailing PulseSpinStudio@mail.com . All bicycles donated by the community are repaired by the studio owner and his volunteers. The program also needs to purchase new chains, rims, tires and tubes. Monetary donations are needed to get this done! Please donate via www.gofundme.com/xbkkn6xg