helmet - trash or recyclable?

[trinena]

I'm assuming my nicely cracked helmet should go into the trash and the materials are not recyclable. If anyone knows differently let me know!

[Irulan]

Some manufacturers will issue a credit coupon towards a new one if you send it back to them. Otherwise, into the trash....

[CycleTherapy]

How about making a planter out of it. :D

[OakLeaf]

If there is a local EPS recycling facility, then I'd say yes. Very few recycling centers will take EPS, because it's so bulky and light that generally the net petroleum savings from recycling it is outweighed by the petroleum used in transportation.

Where we live in Florida, we're lucky to have an EPS recycling facility close by. I tore the straps and outer shell off DH's last dead helmet (took a few minutes, but wasn't too hard) and chucked the shell in the recycling bin. Straps may be reusable if you like to make that kind of stuff. I plan to do the same when I replace mine this year.

[trinena]

good to know about the coupon but i wasn't happy with the straps/fit of my specialized helmet so i don't want the same one. i'll be getting a nicer helmet (the same one my husband has) from rudy project at a great price and it's red to match my road bike.

as for the planter - a funny idea! could be symbolic (something good growing out of something bad!) but i don't think i want to have a reminder of my crash from Sunday. i didn't think i had a concussion (i've had one before) but I'm still having headaches.

[OakLeaf]

Another idea - if your LBS doesn't have a demo helmet ("this crack could've been in her skull"), give it to them. My LBS used my old dead helmet to sell helmets for 15 years :p "She's still alive. Not quite right, but she wasn't quite right before the accident, either" :D


PS way glad you're ok!!!!

[7rider]

How about making a planter out of it. :D

This picture is probably too small to see (gads! I wish I had gotten a better picture of it), but....
Forgive the lead-in here...but, just before Bike To Work Day (May, '08), we had a seminar at our fitness center on the benefits of bicycling, and biking to work. A nurse practitioner from our health center was a keynote speaker. As part of her presentation, she spoke about the benefits of wearing a helmet. As an example, she pulled out her helmet and proudly exclaimed that helmets need not be fancy or expensive to be effective, and in fact, here was her's....all of 15 year old!!! :eek::eek: I quietly pulled her aside and reminded her that generally, a helmet, being not much more then glorified stryofoam, looses it's ability to absorb an impact over time and should be replace regularly....something like every 5 years.

So...come BTWD, we have our morning coffee and bagels for commuters, and in walks the NP with her old helmet on a shallow bowl...serving as the foundation for a lovely flower arrangement!! :D Titled: Things to Do With Your Old Helmet! It was GREAT!! :D

[trinena]

love the story & pic 7rider. good thing you were there to let her know about a helmet's lifespan!

[smilingcat]

thank you for the reminder. I bought my helmet about 7 years ago. So after reading this thread, I went out and bought a new helmet. brought it home and checked the mfg date of my old helmet. :eek: 1999 I thought I bought it after my last major crash around 2001-2002 timeframe.

So I just checked the mfg'd date of the new helmet I just bought. Its July 2007.

I'm thinking of returning the helmet for a refund. If it only has 5 year lifespan then its already used up 20% of its lifetime. grrr... and helmets are expensive!! And I'm not really liking the helmet anyway. No pony tail port for my hair...

smilingcat

[OakLeaf]

So I just checked the mfg'd date of the new helmet I just bought. Its July 2007.

I'm thinking of returning the helmet for a refund.

It's the date placed in service, not the manufacture date, that's important, unless the manufacture date is a LONG time ago. If your helmet was new in box, never tried on, stored out of direct sunlight, then you still have your five years from when you first wore it.


But if you don't like the helmet anyway...

[ChickWithBrains]

Who publishes the "5 year rule?" Unless it's one of the safety regulatory agencies, you have no recourse with the manufacturer or seller of the helmet.

And why would wearing or not have anything to do with the rate at which the helmet material ages and fatigues? Of course, after any crash with head impact, a significant drop (from a shelf to the floor), etc., they need replacing because the stress can make it far less safe - but as far as inherent structure and strength, age is age. That you had it on your noggin or in a box for [x] years should make no difference.

Any thoughts?

[martinkap]

Who publishes the "5 year rule?" Unless it's one of the safety regulatory agencies, you have no recourse with the manufacturer or seller of the helmet.

The "5 year rule" is generally true and recommended by all motorcycle helmet manufacturers. So, I suspect that bicycle helmets are not different. I will try to look on internet for official suggestions...

OK - I found it:
Snell is official testing agency which gives out "snell" certifications on helmets. I believe Snell certifies the bicycle helmets also:

"Today, Arai follows the Snell Memorial Foundation’s statement on warranties in setting a baseline for our coverage parameters. Snell recommends that a helmet be replaced within five years from its date of first use, and no more than seven years from its date of manufacture."
Taken from: http://www.araiamericas.com/Arai_Wants.asp?Article=Arai_Wants/howwarrantieswork.asp

Snell website
http://www.smf.org/

[martinkap]

That you had it on your noggin or in a box for [x] years should make no difference.

Any thoughts?

It makes a difference. The material "styrofome" or what it is called reacts slowly with air and looses its properties. It is like saying that the tires will be good as new if they lie in the drover for 15 years. No, the material will dry out and will become old and rigid. Even if you don't ride on the tires, after 15 (or less) years they are useless. The same thing happens to helmets. The material starts to shrink and skin out. It becomes brittle and fragile. In motorcycle helmets it is even more obvious because even if you don't wear the helmet, helmet which was snug is suddenly very loose.

It is very important to exchange the helmet after 5 years mark, regardless of the wear.

That said, it is still better to have 7 years old helmet on the head than a do-rag :D

[Irulan]

Who publishes the "5 year rule?" Unless it's one of the safety regulatory agencies, you have no recourse with the manufacturer or seller of the helmet.

And why would wearing or not have anything to do with the rate at which the helmet material ages and fatigues? Of course, after any crash with head impact, a significant drop (from a shelf to the floor), etc., they need replacing because the stress can make it far less safe - but as far as inherent structure and strength, age is age. That you had it on your noggin or in a box for [x] years should make no difference.

Any thoughts?


UV and Ozone break down the styrofoam

[Fredwina]

The 5 year is from the Snell Foundation (http://www.smf.org/). Most manufactures recommend every two years.

[OakLeaf]

Yes, UV and ozone do break down the styrofoam, but unless it's stored in the sun next to an electric motor, it gets most of its damage from the oils and acids it's exposed to when it touches your hair and skin or gets sweated on.

A NOS helmet that had been on the shelf for 7 or 10 years, no, I absolutely would not wear. But if I buy one that's reasonably new, I feel perfectly safe wearing it for five years.

The only reason that manufacturers that have a pro rata trade-in program use the manufacture date, is it's the only way to verify the age of the helmet. They couldn't just take the word of the owner as to when it had been placed in service.

[withm]

Can anyone cite any references from Giro, Bell, or Trek on this concept of replacing helmets every 5 years?

I looked on the Giro website and can find no words to this effect. Seems to me this would open them up to all kinds of lawsuits if it were true and they were not publicizing this.

[OakLeaf]

It's all EPS regardless of the brand of helmet. If you're familiar with the Snell Foundation, their recommendation is good enough for me.


ETA: from Arai's website:


All Arai helmets are warranted against defects in materials and workmanship, and are serviceable only for the properly fitted* first user for 5 years from date of first use, but no more than 7 years from date of manufacture. It should be replaced within 5 years of first use.

Shoei's warranty is identical. So, they figure one of their helmets doesn't appreciably degrade over 2 years before first being placed in service.

Giro's recommendation is three years after date of purchase, not date of manufacture. Bell just says three years, without specifying when that starts. We had some discussion on this board a few months back as to whether the three years was valid (due to its being an extreme lightweight helmet) or simply a sales tactic, but in either event, it's the date of purchase that counts to them, as well.
I know that 5 years was specified on the Trek helmet I'm going to be replacing this fall - because that was the helmet I bought after a 10 year hiatus from cycling, so I actually read the instruction sheet :rolleyes: Other than that one, I haven't read an instruction sheet recently.

[Ana]

Are there any greener helmets out there not made of styrafoam? :) Or any known recyclable helmets?