Upgrading Used Bikes for Clean and Affordable Mobility
The project is an inspiring example as it offers an innovative blend of ecological benefit, social inclusion and technological innovation. Combining local collection, repair and social employment, Velocircular shows how circular mobility can work in practice and be replicated in other regions or sectors.
Velocircular is one of the winning projects of the Belgium Builds Back Circular (BBBC) investment fund, which is committed to the circular economy. Active in Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia, Velocircular focuses on extending the life of bikes and their parts. By reusing as much as possible, we avoid throwing them away too soon.
More Efficient Use of Resources
Around 750,000 bikes are thrown away every year in Belgium. But with the right care, many of these bikes and parts can still be perfectly reused. Velocircular capitalises on this by collecting, disassembling and inspecting used bikes and parts, then reusing usable parts for repairs and giving bikes a second life. That way, there is less demand for new raw materials, waste is reduced and there are fewer CO2 emissions.
To quickly screen the best circular option for an end-of-life bike, the partnership developed a handy AI tool. With this tool, you can automatically assess whether it's better to repair, disassemble or recycle a bike, depending on the condition of the parts. In addition, the partnership also identifies the social and environmental impact of choosing a circular bike.
Partnership: Working Together Towards the Ecological and Social Transition
The Velocircular project, coordinated by Mobile 21, is built on a strong partnership that promotes the circular economy on a large scale. Together with partners Cyclo, Provelo, Velo and werecyrcle, the project focuses on circular economic activities, with an emphasis on bike repair and reuse. KU Leuven contributes a scientific dimension, through research and data that strengthen the circular model, for example by mapping the environmental impact of reuse and analysing the efficiency of the logistics chain.
The approach is also embedded in the social economy: when disassembling, cleaning and checking parts, people are given the opportunity to learn new skills and gain work experience, often as a stepping stone to a job.
Reuse reduces the demand for new, often imported parts. The principle is clear: recycling is the last option, reuse and repair always come first. "Our project was born out of the need to provide a high-quality and sustainable bike offering, so that everyone can purchase a bike at an affordable price without sacrificing the environment," explains Els Van den Broeck, project manager at Mobiel 21. Velocircular therefore proves that affordable, reliable and environmentally-friendly mobility is perfectly compatible with social inclusion and that this approach can serve as a model for other circular initiatives.
Federal Support
The "Belgium Builds Back Circular" (BBBC) fund, through which the FPS Public Health supports circular innovation, is a Belgian federal initiative that fosters the transition to a circular economy. The fund is funded through the temporary EU Next Generation programme. This funding allowed Velocircular to scale up faster, invest in the AI tool, build additional partnerships and increase collection and repair capacity. This gave a broader audience access to affordable, sustainable mobility and significantly enhanced the project's social and environmental impact.
