The Cargo Bike Movement Story
From 2020 - 2025, Cargo Bike Movement’s mission has been to make our communities fairer, greener, and healthier using cargo bikes as a tool for change. Our Cargo Bike Hub in Tollcross facilitated free loans and training sessions to lower the barriers for cargo bike use and provide a viable alternative to car and van journeys in Edinburgh. Now no longer a standalone organisation, Cargo Bike Movement’s mission continues with the Bike Station as steward of our mission and vision. Here we will get into how Cargo Bike Movement came to be and grew into the community it is today.
In 2020, a group of people saw food insecurity deepening as the pandemic disrupted food redistribution systems.
Initially informally, they started using cargo bikes to pick up surplus food from supermarkets and deliver it to people who needed it. This was the beginning of Cargo Bike Movement.
115,000 KG OF FOOD
A Look at the Cargo Bike Collections
This video was made by our friend Espen Helland. It shows a typical food by cargo bike that until recently ran Monday - Friday evenings.
Since monitoring began in 2021, CBM volunteers have saved and redistributed 115,000 kg of surplus supermarket food, saving 73,000 kg of CO2 emissions.
By bringing together cargo bikes and volunteers, we were able to respond to food insecurity experienced by many across the city of Edinburgh. We did this in a number of ways, such as delivering surplus supermarket food to those being accommodated in hotels, shelters, and hostels, and supporting local food banks and building partnerships with various charitable organisations across Edinburgh.
We instantly saw the value of our service for those hit hardest by food insecurity and the impacts of Covid-19 on the economy and job markets. Involvement in Cargo Bike Movement also offered a positive outlet for volunteers whose health and wellbeing was benefited by helping out.
With support from Edinburgh City Council and SEStran, we set up Scotland’s first cargo bike dedicated hub in 2021!
This space has been an exemplar for how other cities across Scotland, the UK, and internationally can bring together charities, local authorities, and businesses to create opportunities for fairer, greener, healthier communities through the use and promotion of cargo bikes.
The Cargo Bike Movement Hub
From the Hub we facilitated free cargo bike loans for individuals and businesses, running trainings and inductions, and hosting events to promote the use of cargo bikes in and around Edinburgh.
The Hub was also shared with Farr Out Deliveries, a cargo bike based delivery business. Other community groups used it for storage and meeting space, like Critical Mass, Edinburgh Garden Partners, Edinburgh Board Game Library, and the Tool Library.
A Shared Resource Hub
Supporting other cargo bike libraries
We have also had the joy of supporting other groups in setting up community bike libraries with support like ride leader training and providing advice on things like insurance, loan agreements, and booking procedures. Supporting the growth of other community bike hubs and helping respond to the need for this resource in our communities has been an important part of the work we do.
Moving In
The Cargo Bike Movement Community
Cargo Bike Movement Staff and Board
Our small and dedicated team of staff have worked hard to bring about Cargo Bike Movement’s mission over the years - be it through running trainings, promoting cargo bike use through community events, keeping our fleet in tip-top shape, or communicating with policy makers, our team act as stewards for cargo bike use in the city.
We also thank our volunteer board, who work hard to steer the ship through a difficult funding landscape, and think long-term about cargo bike adoption in Edinburgh and beyond!
Our Volunteers
A network fighting for change
Cargo Bike Movement has been part of a network of groups working hard to make change in our city. Our work is most effective when we team up to bring about change and support one another! This community is made a diversity of groups working locally to fight the intersecting issues of climate emergency and food sovereignty.
Early in running the food collections, we established strong relationships with groups that distribute food to people who need it. We have worked closely with the Shrub Cooperative, dropping food off at their Food Sharing Hub, Scotland’s first rescued food shop, open for everyone with a pay as you feel policy.
This also includes groups that have cargo bike loan schemes of their own, like Brunsfield Area Net Zero Action Initiative, South West Edinburgh 20 Minute Neighbourhoods, and Porty Community Energy.
Our work would not have been possible without our dedicated team of volunteers!
The volunteers are a collective of people passionate about bikes, equality, and the environment. Students, endurance riders, logistics co-ordinators, storytellers, full-time and self-employed workers, civil servants, carers, doctors… just all round good folk seeking to make a difference to the way our public spaces look and feel for the good of everyone's health and the planet.
While the food collection activities are paused at the moment, there is active ongoing discussion about the future!
Passing On the Cargo Bike Torch
In early 2025, the Cargo Bike Movement board took the difficult decision of winding up independent operations and passing our mission and vision on to the Bike Station. We recognised that relying on short-term grants presented an untenable level of risk every year, and continuing in the same way could endanger our mission. The Bike Station are a longtime collaborator and friend that shares our vision for active travel as a tool for bringing about meaningful change! We are excited for what this transition will mean for the future of cargo bike adoption in our communities.
You can learn more about the Bike Station’s work, and keep an eye out for updates regarding the future of our mission, on their website, Instagram, or Facebook page.
