Salomon once again demonstrates its sports innovation by unveiling a groundbreaking recyclable winter sports helmet, the Brigade INDEX.
Following four years of development, the Brigade INDEX ski and snowboard helmet is ready for its debut, offering full recyclability upon reaching the end of its lifespan. This marks a significant breakthrough in helmet construction, with the Brigade INDEX using 96% of materials from a single plastics family.
“A traditional helmet is very complex to recycle because it mixes different materials and we can’t separate those materials at the end of the helmet’s life, which is why helmets often end up in a landfill or burned. So we needed to find a way to use materials from the same family for all parts, to create a simple recycling process,” says Nans Girodengo, Research & Development Specialist for Salomon’s Protective team.
In bringing the Brigade INDEX helmet to life, Salomon’s research and development team devised technical solutions that enabled the creation of a helmet comprised entirely of a single material family, without compromising on performance or safety. This pioneering methodology allows for the complete recycling of the Brigade INDEX helmet at the end of its lifecycle, eliminating the need for disassembly.
Watch the video below to delve deeper into the creation of the Brigade INDEX, the first recyclable winter sports helmet:
Salomon’s efforts set a new standard in the industry
The Brigade INDEX helmet reduces overall environmental impact by 19% compared to traditional counterparts. This is due to the use of polyolefins—especially polypropylene—which require less energy than other thermoplastics to produce, and due to the recycling process at the end of the helmet’s life.
For years, Salomon’s Winter Sports department has been committed to minimizing the environmental impact of its products. Earlier this year, Salomon released a life-cycle analysis (LCA) of key products, including Nordic and alpine skis, snowboards, bindings, helmets, and goggles. This analysis provides insights into the environmental impact of each stage in the product creation process, from material sourcing to end-of-life management, thereby guiding Salomon’s global climate strategy with science-based data.
“The fact that we have openly shared the results of all our LCA is also a way to contribute to the broader transformation of the industry,” explains Xavier Le Guen, Vice President of Salomon Winter Sports Equipment.
Read the full article on Salomon.com.
