Recycle a bicycle upgrade#

Essentially, you need to contact your local recycling centre to see whether they will accept them. Currently, there is no official program for recycling bike helmets. If they are accepted at recycling centres then the helmet will need to be dismantled beforehand to separate the different parts.īut whether a standard bike helmet can be recycled still seems to be something of a grey area. Technically, these are recyclable materials. Most bike helmets are made with expanded polystyrene foam and a polycarbonate shell. In terms of donating to emergency services, you could try the fire brigade or St John’s Ambulance Service. You could also put a shout out in a local community forum if you have one. It is still worth looking, though, as you may have more luck in your area. Unless I’m just unlucky, an hour on Google searching for such organisations took me no further towards finding any. This can be, however, more easily said than done. They should never be donated for re-use if they are expired or damaged.ĭonating to charity shops is out of the question they’ll almost never take any safety/protective equipment that is used.Ĭommon advice is to find local organisations that accept used helmets. Emergency services will sometimes take them to use for training, and they could also be given to schools or local drama groups for use as props. Helmets can be donated if they’re in good condition. It’s certainly not a good idea to buy a second-hand helmet without knowing its age and history. Most people may not want to buy a used helmet, for fair and obvious reasons. Selling a used bike helmet is only an appropriate option if it is relatively new and has had very little use. Recycling, upcycling and donating are all options.

Recycle a bicycle upgrade#

Whether you’ve used your bike helmet for commuting for years and you feel it’s had its day, or you’re looking to upgrade to something more sophisticated such as a smart helmet, there are a number of ways to dispose of or reuse your old helmet. Even if it looks intact, the smallest cracks in the foam polystyrene will reduce the level of protection. With this in mind, helmets should always be replaced after incurring an impact of force, whether from an accident or otherwise. In short, your helmet needs to be as good as it can be. But as safety is the key reason to wear a helmet, it’s better to err on the side of caution. The CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) in the United States, recommends replacing a helmet every five to ten years.

This isn’t to say that every helmet is going to be useless after three years or so.