Maine Bike Recycling Network

A Public Dropoff is will be able to provide space for the intake of bicycles from nearby individuals during regular posted hours and store them on an on-going basis. MBRN will arrange for pickup whenever necessary.

If possible, it is preferred that a collection point be able to provide the following two services:

• Quick diagnosis of an incoming bike, to categorize it as (1) good as-is, (2) repairable, or (3) junk.
• Flattening the non-junk bikes (see Flattener role for details) to prepare them for shipping.

MBRN will not accept bikes which are beyond repair, since we would only have to dispose of them ourselves. This means that the collection point either must make this diagnosis at the time the junk bike is brought in and reject it, or that the collection point accepts responsibility for disposing of junk bikes itself.

A Private Provider is a potential source of bikes which is not open to public dropoff, such as a police department. MBRN takes responsibility for the diagnosis and flattening of bikes from these sources, but still reserves the right to reject junk bikes.

A Staging Host is a location which can provide temporary space for a special event (1-3 days) to take in and flatten bikes, and load them into a Local Shipper's truck for transport to a Storage or Recipient Partner.

A Flattener is a person who has been trained to diagnose bikes into categories of (1) good as-is, (2) repairable, or (3) junk, and who can "flatten" a bike for shipping. "Flattening" means (1) removing the pedals and tying them to the frame, and (2) loosening the handlebars and aligning them with the front wheel. Flatteners must provide their own tools.

A flattener may play a role in three situations. First, they may be associated with a Public Dropoff and perform their duties at that site sometime prior to pickup by MBRN. Secondly, they may be asked to accompany the Local Shipper to a Private Provider or a Public Dropoff which does not have its own flattener, in order to diagnose and flatten the bikes as the the truck is loaded. Lastly, flatteners will also be needed at periodic staging events.

The goal is that all bikes be flattened and categorized as "okay" or "needs work" by the time they reach a Storage Location or Recipient Partner.

A Mechanic is a person qualified to provide bicycle repair services, using their own tools, and parts to be provided to MBRN by In-Kind Partners or Recipient Partners. A mechanic may work onsite at a Public Dropoff (such as a bike store), at periodic staging events, or at a Recipient Partner's location.

A Local Shipper will have the ability to shuttle bikes throughout all or part of Maine, Southern New Hampshire, and Northeastern Massachusettes, including Boston.

A Storage Partner has the ability to store a relatively large number of bikes indefinitely, receiving them and sending them out as needed. The Storage Partner does not need to get involved in the work of loading or unloading, although we won't turn them down if they want to help out! MBRN needs to have easy access to the storage location, either by being able to access the storage site 24x7, or having the access provided to us with at least 24 hour notice. A secure location is preferred but not required. However, for security purposes, providers of unsecure locations will not be publically credited, to avoid public knowledge of the location of a large unsecured cache of good bikes.

A Recipient partner is an established organization with the necessary infrastructure and experience to distribute bicycles to individuals in a fair and equitable manner. The organization could be local, or it could be an organization which in turn utilizes a long-distance shipper to ship nationally or globally.

An In-Kind Partner will be a company that can donate bike parts, tools, and important accessories such as helmets, locks, reflectors, and lights.

A marketing partner is an organization or individual who agrees to regularly advertise the network in some way, such as in a newsletter, on their website, or through any other publicity channel in which they operate. It could even be a media company such as a newspaper, TV, or radio station.

A Financial Supporter is any group or individual willing to provide ongoing periodic financial donations to support the work of the MBRN. Note that while anyone can donate money at any time, Financial Supporters are distinguished by pledging regular ongoing support at specific levels. Named support levels will be determined later.