A Green Solution Born From a Simple Question

A new initiative by NGB CLEAN, a social enterprise supporting prison leavers, is reshaping how we deal with recycled tyres. The programme is already gaining momentum in corporate London.

The scheme, Ride, Recycle, Repeat, tackles an overlooked problem: the waste of used bicycle tyres and inner tubes. These are often dumped in office bike stores and then thrown out with general waste. NGB CLEAN, based in Kennington, South East London, saw the need for a better solution—one that supports both sustainability and social change.

The initiative launched on March 12 at The Ray Farringdon, the London HQ of LinkedIn. In partnership with waste management company Velorim, NGB CLEAN aims to divert bike waste from landfill. Velorim will recycle the tyres into products like non-slip flooring, cycle paths, and construction materials.

“We stopped and questioned what happens to it”

Turning a Complaint Into Action

The idea started with a small complaint. Sam Worden, Chief Operating Officer at NGB CLEAN, explained:
“At one of our contracts, we received a complaint that a bicycle inner tube was left on the floor of a bike store. When actioning this complaint, instead of simply disposing of the inner tube in the waste, we stopped and questioned what happens to it.”

This moment led to the creation of Ride, Recycle, Repeat. The plan includes placing bins in office bike stores for tyre and tube collection. Sam also hopes to recruit a prison leaver to manage the collections—blending environmental impact with second-chance employment.

Bicycle Waste: A Hidden Environmental Issue

Over 10,000 tonnes of bicycle tyres and inner tubes go to landfill each year in the UK. Standard waste services won’t take them. Retailers also have no proper way to dispose of this kind of waste.

Velorim helps bridge that gap. With more than 600 collection sites and a processing centre in Staffordshire, they’re tackling the issue at scale.

“We are delighted to be working in partnership with NGB CLEAN in developing this groundbreaking recycling service in the corporate and commercial environment and working to recover and recycle the estimated 10,000,000 kilos of inner tubes and tyres currently going into landfill every year,” said Velorim co-founders Richard Lawrence and Russ Taylor.

Scaling Recycled Tyres into a Circular Economy Win

Turning Waste into Circular Value with Recycled Tyres

The project won’t stop in London. Sam plans to expand it to cities like Cambridge through local roadshows. The team is using their connections in commercial property to roll out the idea quickly and efficiently.

“Given that most medium to large buildings across London have bike stores and a large number of cyclists, NGB CLEAN believes it can make a huge impact,” Sam said.
“We are not driving this project with an expectation to make a profit but instead create something that will raise awareness and reduce waste going to landfill, and by utilising our access to property management companies we can really make a difference.”

Corporate Support Boosts Momentum

Knight Frank, LinkedIn and Better Space Join the Effort

The initiative has strong corporate backing. Knight Frank, one of the UK’s leading real estate consultancies, is already supporting the rollout.

“Knight Frank have been proud to work with and support the work of NGB CLEAN, as a social enterprise making a difference in the industry and we are really looking forward to incorporating this incredible recycling initiative in our managed buildings,” said Mike Tuohy, Director, Regional Head at Knight Frank.
“Office buildings across the UK have improved their facilities available to the thousands of cyclist community and we look forward to seeing the impact this NGB CLEAN initiative will have.”

Edith Velasquez, Building Manager at The Ray Farringdon, also supported the launch:
“I came across this initiative when Sam Worden presented at our Knight Frank Promise quarterly FM meeting and instantly knew this would be an initiative that my tenants, LinkedIn and Better Space, would be very enthusiastic about, as well as be a great addition to our existing recycling processes.”

Grassroots Collaboration Makes It Work

The programme has also won praise from bike charities. XO Bikes refurbishes old bikes and helps keep waste out of landfill. They immediately saw value in the scheme.

“At XO Bikes we service, recycle and refurbish hundreds of bikes, giving them a new lease of life and preventing needless waste going to landfill,” said Ollie Harper, Operations Officer and Bike Mechanic.
“Sam from No Going Back reached out to XO Bikes, told us all about her brilliant plan for recycling tyres and tubes all across London and we jumped at the chance to get on board!”

Recycled Tyres as a Business-Led Sustainability Model

NGB CLEAN’s recycled tyres programme supports growing interest in circular economy models across the property and transport sectors. As more people cycle to work, the waste left behind needs sustainable handling.

By connecting buildings, tenants, waste managers, and social enterprises, NGB CLEAN offers a blueprint that is both scalable and meaningful. It’s not just about waste—it’s about reintegration, responsibility, and rethinking the way businesses operate.