MSA, a developer, manufacturer and supplier of safety products, has developed the world’s first “green” protective hard hat manufactured from sugarcane.
Unlike conventional hard hats manufactured from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) sourced from nonrenewable petrochemicals, the V-Gard GREEN hard hat from MSA is manufactured using “green” HDPE sourced entirely from sugarcane ethanol.
By developing a hard hat sourced from sugar, the firm is effectively reducing the overall carbon footprint associated with the life-cycle of this product. Through the natural process of photosynthesis, sugarcane cultivation captures CO2 from the atmosphere, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, according to a 2007 eco-efficiency study conducted by Fundacao Espaco Eco, for every ton of green HDPE produced, approximately 2.5 tons of carbon dioxide are captured from the atmosphere and environment.
Just like MSA’s market-leading, traditional V-Gard hard hats, the V-Gard GREEN protective hard hat meets the company’s rigorous performance standards as well as those defined by ANSI Z89.1 and CSA Z94.1.
Green high-density polyethylene is also 100 percent recyclable in the same stream as conventional HDPE, making it suitable for reuse in non-safety products and further enhancing the sustainability benefits of the new hard hat. Like traditional V-Gard hard hats, the new V-Gard GREEN hard hat will be marked with a recycling label to further remind and educate users to recycle their helmet at the end of its use cycle.
In recognition of MSA’s leadership and innovation in head protection, Frost & Sullivan, a global research organization of 1,800 analysts and consultants who monitor more than 300 industries and 250,000 companies worldwide, recently selected the V-Gard GREEN for its 2013 New Product Innovation Leadership Award.