Want to be quickly up to speed about recyling in Berkeley?
Discover our recycling guidelinesBerkeley
Bike Helmets
Instructions
If a helmet has been in a crash it isn't safe to be reused again. Therefore, it will go into your gray landfill cart. If someone has a helmet they aren't using that hasn't had any serious impact, it would be best to give it away so the person taking the helmet knows that the helmet hasn't been in a collision before.
Alternatives
As an alternative you might plant flowers in it and hang it on your front porch for reuse. The vents are good for draining the pot if you overwater. The nylon strap should last for a long time.
Facts
Although a million or more bike helmets are being pitched into landfills in the US, there are no organized national programs for reusing or recycling helmets. The best reuse of old helmets comes from Bainbridge Island, WA where the annual Rotary Auction receives helmets among other things to resell. They have decided to offer the helmets back to the community through the neighborhood emergency prep groups as part of a kit to be kept under the bed in case "the big one" hits. The helmets will serve as the hard hats suggested as part of the earthquake readiness kit to protect against falling debris.
Test Your Recycling Knowledge
From easy to hard