Seeking to support students and refugees in connecting together as a global community, UpCycle is proud to be at the forefront of implementation efforts for UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Our collaborative network creates a powerful and dynamic platform for the exchange of knowledge and experience, truly globalising solutions and collectively coordinating the systematic implementation of UN SDGs.
10 – Reduced inequalities
As an inter-community project, UpCycle seeks to provide access to sustainable means of transport to the most underprivileged among our community, and establish an opportunity to reduce inequality.
By providing the refugee community with the means to own individual and personal transportation, UpCycle successfully and continuously coordinates the systematic implementation of UN SDG 10: reducing inequality.
11 – Sustainable cities and communities
By offering the refugee community refurbished bicycles, UpCycle also promotes green transportation. As youth, volunteers and refugees work, repair and check bikes together, they learn to appreciate the freedom and opportunity these vehicles provide, inciting many to more sustainable living.
UpCycle thus directly impacts Geneva’s region by encouraging sustainable cities and communities, in line with SDG 11.
12 – Responsible consumption and production
Reduce, reuse, recycle.
In an increasingly consumerist society, UpCycle aims to reduce waste through the donation and collection of bicycles which would have otherwise littered the community as garbage, reusing parts, and overall repurposing manufactured goods.
Via the recycling of donated bicycles, UpCycle seeks to address the impact of climate change and pollution, and advocate for mindful, responsible and sustainable consumption and production.
17 – Partnership for the goals
To achieve the aforementioned goals, UpCycle has and continues to collaborate with many UN organisations, independent companies and local businesses to collect abandoned or unused bikes, nurturing the implementation of UN SDG 17.
Our partnership with Switzerland’s leading road safety organisation, TCS, furthermore offers the refugee community free road safety classes, and encourages not only mindful consumption, but also a sustainable and safe city and community.
These goals will help determine the focus of international development initiatives for the future. While these SDGs make up only a part of all 17 goals, they represent a large part of the lessons learned from the successes of SDG’s predecessor, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). As the foundation of sustainable development, SDG 10, 11, 12 and 17 describe objectives that are fundamental to the success of all of the other goals.
Soon:
8 – Decent work and economic growth
In the future, UpCycle hopes to open a community-run bicycle workshop and provide some refugees with part- and full-time jobs.
Not only will this allow for them to get used to a new country, a new language and new people through inter-community collaboration, but will also offer them a jumping point for their future careers, earning profitable salaries and work experience and promoting UN SDG 8: decent work.
9 – Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Not only would UpCycle’s workshop be the first inter-community bike workshop in the Geneva region, but will also encourage for a new, innovative way of business (thus, the implementation of SDG 9).
Hopefully, no asylum seeker will ever need to pay for UpCycle’s services, but rather offer a helping hand in exchange for repairs. Not only saving costs, they would also save themselves from future trips to bike mechanics as they will learn first-hand how to repair their vehicles.
UpCycle 