Stowmarket-based malt firm Muntons is set to donate 10 of its ‘site bikes’ to a charity linked to Africa.

The malt and malted ingredient manufacturer has a large 45-acre site and, for many years, company bicycles were used to speed the movement of staff as they performed their various duties.

But this year the bicycles are being retired, mainly to reduce the risk of injury as vehicle movements on site are increasing as the company grows.

Rather than simply scrapping the 10 bicycles, which while well used were also well maintained, the firm has decided to donate them to Re-cycle, which ships good bicycles to African partners who run bicycle projects such as refurbishing, distributing and maintaining bikes.

Millions of people in Africa are forced to walk on average four hours every day to get to school or work or carry heavy loads such as water, crops and firewood. The re-cycle bicycles provide swift transport, cutting these journey times down to as little as 20 minutes.

Environmental manager Ryland Cairns said: “For some years now we have been implementing a programme to reduce waste to landfill, so finding a use for our surplus bikes, which not only avoided waste but provided real benefits for a genuinely meaningful cause, was a perfect solution which fitted well within our sustainability ethos.”