Giro, a brand of BRG Sports, unveiled a bicycle helmet at Interbike Wednesday that when damaged or ready for replacement, can
be disassembled for recycling and composting.
The Silo helmet, which will be available at retail for $50 in Spring 2016, features exclusive new foam liner technology based around E-PLA, or Expanded Polylactic Acid. The E-PLA, or “bio-foam” liner is derived from corn, with the potential to be made of grasses or other plant-based materials instead of petroleum-based materials.
It offers a lower environmental burden than traditional expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam, yet it performs like conventional EPS foam when managing impact energy, according to Giro.
In addition to the liner, the Silo uses a recyclable ABS plastic shell and webbing made from coconut fibers in a bid to reduce potential impact to the environment.
Compared to traditional helmets, the Silo uses fewer non-renewable resources, lowers global warming potential and increases the potential to localize source materials with manufacturing, Giro said.
