Bike Recycling at Bikes Not Bombs

Yes! We are a 501 (c) 3 charity under the IRS code; donated bikes are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.

Read more about our programs mission, and history! Want to share more information about Bikes Not Bombs with your bike donors? Print out a few of these single-sided flyers to hand out!

A Bikes Not Bombs volunteer will attend your drive from start to finish with tools, literature, donation receipts, and a van to transport the bikes to our warehouse at the end of the day. We train your volunteers in greeting bike donors and processing the incoming donations.

• See if your town will let you put an item on the "trash and recycling" page of their website.
• Ask your local DPW or police if you can use their digital light up sign to publicize your event.
• If your town has a transfer station, post a notice there well in advance of your event.
• Visit your local bike shop owner to see if they have abandoned bikes or parts they are willing to donate.

Use this template flyer to advertise your drive throughout your neighborhood, at the library, City Hall, etc. Just write in the time and place of your Bike Drive!

If you are an individual donor, you should know that we generally rely on our donors to bring the bikes to us, as we don't have the resources necessary to pick up bikes piecemeal.  We collect over 5,000 bikes every year! Can you imagine how long it would take to pick up 5,000 bikes individually? Luckily, coming to us is easier than you think, and the largest bike will fit into the smallest car (if you want it to). In addition to our Hub in Jamaica Plain, we may offer seasonal Bike Drive events in your area.

Feel free to contact bikedonations@bikesnotbombs.org with any additional questions!

No. We never have, and we likely never will.

If your donation consists of more than 10 bicycles, please set up an appointment with the bike shop at 617-522-0222. If you are donating fewer than 10 bikes that meet the conditions above, you can deliver them without arranging a time in advance.  

Make sure to drop them off during Shop hours: Tuesday to Friday from 12pm to 7pm, and Saturdays 9am to 5pm.

Due to the volume of bike donations we process, we do not have the capacity to track and manage specific requests for allocation of donated bikes. We already have a system and procedure for determining how to allocate bikes to programs, taking into account many different factors -- so unfortunately we are not able to guarantee where your bike will end up at the time of donation.

While we encourage everyone to learn about (and get involved in!) our programs, we ask donors to understand that the bike (or item) they wish to donate may or may not be useful in the program area of their choice, and to trust our judgment when it comes to determining the most responsible use of items that have been donated to us.

There are many factors that determine the best re-use of a given bicycle, and the program area where a given bike is of most value can change frequently. Additionally, the mechanical and material criteria that determine where a bike will be most useful is extremely nuanced. We collect, process, transport, and store bicycles in large quantities, such that making an exception for a single bicycle has the potential to slow down our system and cause significant hiccups along the way. We have been doing this for over 40 years so you can be assured that we will re-home your bicycle in an equitable and environmentally responsible manner.  If you're curious to find out how your particular donation is likely to be used, feel free to send a description of the bike (or item) to bikedonations@bikesnotbombs.org.