How can I reuse or recycle yellow hard hats?

hardhat250.jpgWe’ve had an email from Christina Biggs, who works for the Wildlife Trust.

I have 27 hard top yellow helmets which are out of date and need replacing according to health and safety regulations.

I run a waste and recycling classroom so ideally I would like to keep some of these on site and turn them into recycled products, I have thought about hanging baskets. What can these be recycled into? Any suggestions?

I was going to say hanging baskets (with a hole drilled in the bottom for drainage) but Christina beat me to it. Given they’re going to be pretty hard plastic, I don’t know how much they can be modified but I wonder if they could be made into fun birdboxes or something. Any other suggestions?

(Photo by brokenarts)

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14 Responses to “How can I reuse or recycle yellow hard hats?”


  1. trish says:

    give them to kids to play with, donate them to a daycare.

    you could make a cool shelf of bins, secure them to a board somehow and store screws etc in them.

  2. Steph says:

    You could make some beer helmets, and sell them.

  3. Lisa says:

    Hi

    You could donate them to a school or children’s club for dressing up play. My son loves his dad’s old one.

    Lisa

  4. Nigello says:

    How about using them as planters or as a hanging basket?

  5. Mikaela says:

    I’m going to a fancy dress party and need 11 hats by friday i’d be willing to buy them off you and pay for the postage? x

  6. Katz says:

    You can sell or donate them to a fancy dress shop. I am sure they need them there!
    Also – you can make a fun wall storage boxes from them: take a door hinge, screw one side to the wall, other side to the helmet, and on the other side of the helmet put a hook or a loop – and put a screw or a hook in the wall on the top. To stop things from falling out when it’s open – you can nail or staple some fabric on the inside of the helmet.
    It would be good for shed storage or other storage for small items. Maybe crayons or other items..

  7. Kaz says:

    Your local amateur dramatics group might appreciate them – they’re always looking for potential costumes.

  8. Pat says:

    here in Oklahoma, they would be welcome in a storm shelter, the meteorologists suggests wearing a helmit while in a storm shelter in case of falling debris.

  9. Jo says:

    I organise kids partys and the chldren would love to dress up in the yellow constrution hats.

  10. natasha says:

    donate to thrift store.many men need those for ork

  11. david says:

    remember: (1) refuse (2) reduce (3) re-use (4) recycle. Recycling is only better than disposal. In the case of hard-hats there is NO mandatory expiry date, Reduce envirionmental impact by only replacing when worn , e.g. badly scratched, any signs of cracks. Few people would buy a new hard-hat to satisfy shopoholic needs, but for other items beware using recycling as a conscience salve to consumerism.

    • Frog says:

      Actually you are technically Wrong! Hard hats do have an expiry date as the plastic degrades. Carries comments below are correct and should be followed.

  12. Darvin says:

    I have been collecting hard hats from the construction sites l have been on for four years. I take them to inner city churches and agencies for people who work temporary jobs. They are charged by the employment agencies and this gives them some extra cash in their pockets for their needs. This is a great way to reuse. Hopefully they will recycle.

  13. I have various hard hats that I have collected over the years I’m going to give them to some charities that do construction works



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