your old helmets

[GoldOxide_imp]

Mine go in the trash.

Understood.

I wonder how long before an environmentalist determines motorcycle helmets are not earth-friendly and need to ante up a disposal fee upon new purchase?

Is a surcharge added to other products that are not earth friendly? ...I'm thinking items like plastic lawn chairs, fish netting, weed eaters, to name a few random objects of the likely million other objects that are also not earth-friendly when they wear out.

I don't say that to be argumentative or difficult in any way. I try to recycle anything and everything I can. The net says that plastic in general never fully decomposes. It can be a bit depressing.

But is there a reason a helmet would be any different than other man-made products that are difficult to recycle?

Is a surcharge added to other products that are not earth friendly? ...I'm thinking items like plastic lawn chairs, fish netting, weed eaters, to name a few random objects of the likely million other objects that are also not earth-friendly when they wear out.

I don't say that to be argumentative or difficult in any way. I try to recycle anything and everything I can. The net says that plastic in general never fully decomposes. It can be a bit depressing.

But is there a reason a helmet would be any different than other man-made products that are difficult to recycle?
Tires

Is a surcharge added to other products that are not earth friendly? ...I'm thinking items like plastic lawn chairs, fish netting, weed eaters, to name a few random objects of the likely million other objects that are also not earth-friendly when they wear out.

I don't say that to be argumentative or difficult in any way. I try to recycle anything and everything I can. The net says that plastic in general never fully decomposes. It can be a bit depressing.

But is there a reason a helmet would be any different than other man-made products that are difficult to recycle?
Tires
Consumer electronics. Think: Best Buy? (check the receipt for extra charges)

I think Staples too.

RE helmets:

Some in particular are problematic to "recycle" - like resin encased fiberglass, carbon fiber, ... first come to mind.

 

[pdedse]

Mine go in the trash.

Understood.

I wonder how long before an environmentalist determines motorcycle helmets are not earth-friendly and need to ante up a disposal fee upon new purchase?

Is a surcharge added to other products that are not earth friendly? ...I'm thinking items like plastic lawn chairs, fish netting, weed eaters, to name a few random objects of the likely million other objects that are also not earth-friendly when they wear out.

I don't say that to be argumentative or difficult in any way. I try to recycle anything and everything I can. The net says that plastic in general never fully decomposes. It can be a bit depressing.

But is there a reason a helmet would be any different than other man-made products that are difficult to recycle?

Is a surcharge added to other products that are not earth friendly? ...I'm thinking items like plastic lawn chairs, fish netting, weed eaters, to name a few random objects of the likely million other objects that are also not earth-friendly when they wear out.

I don't say that to be argumentative or difficult in any way. I try to recycle anything and everything I can. The net says that plastic in general never fully decomposes. It can be a bit depressing.

But is there a reason a helmet would be any different than other man-made products that are difficult to recycle?
Tires

Tires
I was curious...net says 3 billion (estimated) tires were produced globally for 2019 and between 10-20 million mc helmets for 2020...close enough on the years. If you use the larger number, 20 million, that would mean that mc helmets produced represent less than 1 percent (0.67%) of tires produced for a given year. Yet a helmet is less bulky than a tire.

I also found that the environmental surcharge added to a new tire is about $2.00 or a bit less.

Let's suppose that a mc helmet is about 1/5 the bulk of a tire--I have no idea if that's acurate, but maybe it's close enough to make a point. So if a tire has a $2 surcharge, then it could be reasoned that mc helmet--at 1/5 the bulk of a tire-- ought to carry an environmental surcharge of around 40 cents, or 1/5 of $2.

But then all bulky, non-biodegradable items produced for consumption ought also to carry a surcharge.

Maybe that fund could be used for...something.

 

[LongRanger_imp]

We are charged a fee to recycle anything — including recyclable items - so there is a strong financial disincentive towards recycling, which is counterintuitive. I’d be happy to pay a slight surcharge when purchasing a new helmet but being charged $25 to recycle a used one, vs. just tossing it in the trash, is a non-starter.

 

[Gone in 60]

Sort of like Tod was saying, a few years ago, while attending a motorcycle show in L.A., there was a booth run by a small group that was collecting good condition used helmets to box up and ship to countries where they could be of good use. Their booth graphics had images of entire families riding on scooters, etc.

I thought it was very altruistic, and I had a small collection of used helmets in my garage. I had their flyer, and tried to contact them not too long afterwards to donate. Unfortunately, they apparently didn't last very long, and their phones and website had been shut down.

My local Goodwill doesn't want them. I ended up cutting off the straps and tossing them in the dumpster.

 

[pdedse]

I dug a little bit and found two articles related to the difficulties of recycling motorcycling helmets and a [url=https://www.headsdontbounce.com/information/what-to-do-with-expired-helmets-part-2/]suggestion to re-purposing them.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

I dug a little bit and found two articles related to the difficulties of recycling motorcycling helmets and a [url=https://www.headsdontbounce.com/information/what-to-do-with-expired-helmets-part-2/]suggestion to re-purposing them.

Hmm, ya - Halloween will soon be upon us before you know it.

 

[Rox_imp]

Mine basically become garage trophies... Can't really use them.. Hard to part with.