Dainese launch revolutionary helmet recycling project to cut back on plastic waste problem

Dainese, owners of AGV Helmets, have announced a world-first helmet recycling and manufacturing scheme that could cut virgin plastic use by several tonnes, all without compromising rider safety.

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Called Life Impacto, the new project represents the only industrial-scale solution for recycling motorcycle lids to date, with discarded units previously going to landfill or the incinerator.

The goal is to readdress the approach taken to end-of-life motorcycle gear, preventing excess waste by developing an efficient and sustainable way to separate and recycle the plastics from which helmets are composed. These materials are then planned to be repurposed to make components for use in new AGVs.

Homologation special

Dainese’s ultimate goal is to introduce a homologated, environmentally-sustainable helmet model to the market off the back of the project, without the use of glues and with a reduction in the variety of materials used, as well as greater ease of breaking down the various materials when these are recycled.

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The Dainese group are co-ordinating and overseeing proceedings, but four additional Italian companies have come together to pool their expertise and bring the plan to life.

Collaborative effort

Alongside Dainese are Innovando – a reverse logistics specialist, Re-Sport – a start-up spin-off from the University of Bologna which is focused on innovative technologies for recycling composite sports equipment, Misitano & Stracuzzi – who supply bio-based solvents extracted from citrus fruit waste, and the University of Bologna – for the research and development component of the project.

So far, 24 dealers around Europe are set to take part, with the program set to kick off in February 2025.

How it works

After collecting end-of-use lids, a new facility will process them, using bio-based solvents (limonene and ethyl acetate) obtained from food industry waste to separate the different composing plastic materials (ABS, EPS, and PC).

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“Our purpose is still to save lives,” Dainese Group R&D Director, Massimo Varese told MCN. “We will not compromise on quality. The helmets produced will be of the same standard and safety characteristics as those made with fresh plastics.

“It’s all about reusing materials where possible. For example, the polycarbonate that makes the visor – if this cannot be used for its original purpose, then it could be used to make new spoilers instead.

“One of the targets is also to make the program economically sustainable. If we recycle but the helmet price is double, this will be difficult to sell.

“We only started in July, so we are still building the factory, but the real cost comes when we see how many helmets we can recover. The aim to start with is to reach 5000. If we are able to increase that then the cost will reduce.”

If the 5000-lid target is met, the project will save 3700kg of ABS, 1056kg of EPS, and more than 600kg of PC. On top of that, 60% fewer C02 emissions, 60% less electricity, and 50% less water would be needed to recover these versus producing virgin materials.