Pittsburgh-based MSA, the largest producer of industrial hard hats in North America, has launched the V-Gard GRN hard hat, which it says is the first industrial safety product produced from nearly 100 percent renewable resources.
Developed and manufactured by MSA in Brazil, the MSA V-Gard GRN hard hat is similar to conventional hats in that it's made of high-density polyethylene. However, unlike traditional hard hats, the HDPE in the MSA V-Gard GRN model is sourced entirely from sugarcane.
By developing a hard hat sourced from sugarcane ethanol, MSA says its has reduced the overall carbon footprint that's associated with the entire lifecycle of the product. For each ton of the "green" polyethylene used to make the hard hat, up to 2.5 pounds of carbon dioxide are captured from the atmosphere, MSA says - compared to two pounds of CO2 emitted for each ton of polyethylene sourced from petrochemicals.
Green polyethylene is also 100 percent recyclable, making it suitable for reuse in non-safety products, but offers just as much protection as the traditional HDPE, MSA says.