Manufacturers' recommendations for the lifespan of helmets vary. The standard is that the helmet will need to be replaced after three to five years, unless the helmet is dropped or bumped during that time. However, there is no guide on how to properly dispose of helmets, and because of the many materials and adhesives used in helmet construction, helmets fall prey to landfills after their useful life.

POC decided that this was not a viable long-term practice and brought the new Myelin helmet to market. Is this a sustainable future for helmet design?

Some of the best commuter helmets are made of recyclable materials, but once they are glued together and cannot be separated, they can only be treated as general waste without an effort to disassemble them.

To combat this, POC has created the new Myelin in such a way that all components can be easily disassembled by the owner at the end of their usable life.

Instead of adhesives, the outer fabric-woven shell and inner cradle are secured to the expanded polystyrene carcass with fasteners.

Not only is the helmet itself recyclable, it is made from 50% recycled materials. The textile shell, straps, and padding are all made from recycled polyester. However, the main polystyrene shell seems to be made of virgin material.

There is no consideration of rotational impact as part of the design, but since the liner is usually clipped in place, it should be possible if POC continues the same concept to more performance-oriented models.

Myelin is currently available for £100/$100/€100, a price that should be easy for anyone to remember.