Press Release

Date: 16/11/2007

A recycling project in Stafford has scooped a top national award.

The innovative ‘Art from the Spokes’ struck Gold at the prestigious Green Apple Awards in London.

The Stafford Borough Council led project uses old bicycle parts to create new products. It was developed from the successful ‘Back 2 Bikes’ scheme where old bicycles were recycled to produce cheaper bikes - promoting cycling as a green and healthy form of transport.

‘Art from the Spokes’ was founded last year and is a joint venture by the Borough Council, Back 2 Bikes, Stafford College of Further Education and Drakehall Women’s Prison.

Already key rings made from old bike chains have been on sale at a number of venues and showcased at an exhibition of art from recycled materials at the Shire Hall Gallery. And staff and students from Stafford College have also displayed sculptures from dragonflies to bees and from spiders webs to water skaters created from used bicycle parts at various community events.

The highlight cam at an exhibition of the students work at Shugborough Hall this summer raising awareness of recycling, biodiversity and cycling to thousands of visitors.

The national ‘Green Apple Awards’ honour businesses, community groups and local authorities across the UK who put safeguarding the environment at the top of their agenda. And the council led project was given the ‘Regional Gold Award.’

Councillor Stan Highfield, Cabinet Member for Environment and Health, said: “This is deserved recognition of the imaginative idea that has been brought to fruition by the borough council’s Local Agenda 21 and Culturegen teams along with other partners.

“These are prestigious awards and demonstrate what great work is going on in helping to keep the environment safe for generations to come. And it is amazing to see the works of art that have been created from parts of bicycles that otherwise would have found their way to landfill ”

As well as promoting a healthy form of transport and making cheaper bikes available, Back 2 Bikes also reduces waste to landfill and has helped volunteers working on the project gain valuable experience to help them return to employment.

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