Creativity and the planet:Bike recycling

During the last academic term, me and students of one of my courses had the opportunity to visit the Surrey Bike Project, a social enterprise whose main remit is the recycling of bicycles.  It is a very interesting organisation that gathers many volunteers as well as youngsters around the topic of repairing, servicing and selling recycled bikes.  

Royal Holloway Students with John Thurlow, Project Manager

My students were asked to observe what goes on there, ask questions,and then select one specific process that they could improve, all of this using creativity ideas and techniques.

They did a great job coming up with solutions.    Some proposed a generic process of attracting more customers or enhancing the visibility of this organisation, whereas others focused on improving the diagnosis, repair and quality check activities and even suggesting new processes (i.e. making wallets out of tire rubber tubes).  

In the UK, the bike industry is economically strong, and within it repairs/recycling contribute a good deal.  The Surrey Bike Project provides education to youngsters who have left traditional education for whatever reason.  This is a great human aspect of the organisation. Other organisations around the country are also providing education through recycling in what appears to be an emerging, hybrid model of operation.   

This visit made me think that many of us, in our own ways, are doing something for the planet.   For creativity to emerge we need to set up spaces for different minds to come together and explore a common problem.   In her book "Peripheral Visions", Mary Catherine Bateson talks about the importance of setting up such spaces so that people can join in, learn and be allowed to make mistakes.   Like learning a language.   That is what the Surrey Bike Project does, ensuring a very high standard of quality as well.

I am sure my students learned a lot from this visit and the work that followed. I am also sure that John, Jim and colleagues from the project benefited from having different perspectives about their organisation.   We hope to continue our conversations and learn from each other.