Recycling helmets

[john1B]

Hi, Does anyone in UK know the best way to dispose of worn out cycling helmets? Some say, dismantle into separate categories of plastic, recycle the outer and send polystyrene inner to tip for burial others say send the complete helmet to the waste tip for burial. J;-)

[Mick F]

Good question.

I've not worn my helmet since 2015 and it sits there on a shelf unloved and unwanted. There's nothing wrong with it but I can't sell it despite asking on here. No-one wants a secondhand helmet.

A few years ago, my old helmet - the one before the one above - was used as a planter with pansies in it hanging on a hook out the front!
Later, I used it for experimentation by putting a filled bag of wet sand in it and dropping it from a metre high onto solid concrete to see how long it would last. Two or three drops, and it was cracked.

Can't remember what I did with it. I think it went into the "plastics" skip at the local dump.

[mjr]

Most "plastics" skips at household waste centres don't accept expanded polystyrene. If you put it in there without asking, it may contaminate the skip load so at best the council doesn't get paid for it and at worst has to pay for sorting and extra disposal.

It's a terrible material for recycling: there are very few places in the UK that recycle it and it's paid for by weight, so the transport costs far exceed any revenue unless you have the equipment to compress it safely first. The lightweight nature also means it gets blown away easily if broken up, readily ending up as part of the plastic rubbish in the sea. It is now banned in over 100 US cities and many more responsible companies are replacing it with plant-based compostable alternatives or paper-based ones which are recycled more widely. https://www.countryliving.com/uk/homes- ... ecyclable/ https://www.thebalancesmb.com/introduct ... ng-2877866

If someone wanted to reduce the environmental benefits of cycling, they would be an evil genius to invent such an item requiring regular replacement that they could emotionally-blackmail riders to use that is a combination of plastics (already awkward to recycle) with one of them expanded polystyrene!

[[XAP]Bob]

It's a brilliant material for recycling - assuming it is already pure and at the factory... they do it a bit like glass - they just chuck bits back into the starting hopper.

But the low density does make it horrible to transport.

Popcorn is an interesting alternative packing material - it is shipped in a dense format, popped and used as packaging, then can be composted.
It has obvious drawbacks for use as an item of fashion clothing however...

[Mike Sales]

[quote="[XAP]
Popcorn is an interesting alternative packing material - it is shipped in a dense format, popped and used as packaging, then can be composted.
..[/quote]

Or eaten.

[Gattonero]

Hi, Does anyone in UK know the best way to dispose of worn out cycling helmets? Some say, dismantle into separate categories of plastic, recycle the outer and send polystyrene inner to tip for burial others say send the complete helmet to the waste tip for burial. J;-)

Good post!
I never thought about it, perhaps worth asking shops if they can get manufacturers to ship old helmets in bulk to the original factory?

[Cunobelin]

[foxyrider]

Hi, Does anyone in UK know the best way to dispose of worn out cycling helmets? Some say, dismantle into separate categories of plastic, recycle the outer and send polystyrene inner to tip for burial others say send the complete helmet to the waste tip for burial. J;-)

Good post!
I never thought about it, perhaps worth asking shops if they can get manufacturers to ship old helmets in bulk to the original factory?

better still - stop buying the wretched things!

[Mike Sales]

better still - stop buying the wretched things!

Now, now, you will get sent to stand in the corner.

[TrevA]

All of our non-recyclable waste is burnt to provide energy for the local district heating scheme, so doesn’t go to landfill. I imagine that old helmets burn quite well.

[foxyrider]

Good post!
I never thought about it, perhaps worth asking shops if they can get manufacturers to ship old helmets in bulk to the original factory?

better still - stop buying the wretched things!

Though I'm all for the freedom of use them, because we should all have the right to leave home and be back in one piece and not injured because of someone else's fault, thus not having manfatory protection devices; to advocate for not using protections at all, whatever the circumstances are, is plain silly. I.e., proper mountain bike riding (not a flat bridleway!) without a helmet is just stupid.

They don't have to be polystyrene and i certainly didn't say don't wear one at all

[[XAP]Bob]

Though I'm all for the freedom of use them, because we should all have the right to leave home and be back in one piece and not injured because of someone else's fault, thus not having manfatory protection devices; to advocate for not using protections at all, whatever the circumstances are, is plain silly. I.e., proper mountain bike riding (not a flat bridleway!) without a helmet is just stupid.

Do you have any evidence that the supposed protection device actually offers significant protection?

Else you are effectively doing the modern version of criticising people for advocating against carrying a rabbit's foot.

[mattheus]

Does a helmet count as "single use plastic" ?

That could be justification for banning them - or at least for not using them (-:

[[XAP]Bob]

Does a helmet count as "single use plastic" ?

That could be justification for banning them - or at least for not using them (-:

Not sure - I think the vast majority are zero use plastic (in that the vast majority should, according to the manufacturer, be scrapped before being used.

[peetee]

Love it!

On the garden theme, polystyrene makes good, reusable drainage medium at the bottom of plant pots.