Turning the Tide on Plastic: Strategic Sports Helmets Built with Re-pelletized and Ocean-Sourced Materials
At Strategic Sports, sustainability is not a single, separate initiative. It is a mindset that runs through every stage of our design and manufacturing. In previous stories, we shared how we pioneered helmet liners made from 100% recycled EPS reclaimed from the automotive industry, and how we turned rPET bottles into padding and straps without compromising performance. We apply the same principles to another essential part of helmet production: non-functional plastic parts.
Unlike EPS liners, which are engineered to absorb impact energy, non-functional plastic components such as visors, outer shells for certain models, various small parts and fit systems play a different role. Though they are not a critical aspect of impact energy mitigation, they still play an important part of the user experience by adding adjustability, functionality and convenience to a helmet. They also present an ideal opportunity to reclaim material and reduce reliance on virgin plastics.
And that is exactly what we are doing. Across our facilities in China, Portugal and Vietnam we have committed to not discarding sprue or rejected shell materials. Instead, every piece is collected, reclaimed, and reprocessed into usable re-pelletized (i.e. reprocessed and converted into manufacturable pellets) material. Those materials are then reincorporated into new helmet parts, creating a closed loop in the production cycle.
Here is how it breaks down:
Visors: 15–30% re-pelletized material
Shells: 15% re-pelletized material
Fit Belts: 30–50% re-pelletized material
Other non-functional parts: up to 100% re-pelletized material
Regrind is only part of the story. With 8 million tons of plastic entering the ocean every year, the impact on marine life is severe, from entanglement to suffocation. To help address this, we are cooperating with a U.S.-based organization to integrate ocean plastics into helmet production. These materials, once floating waste, are now being transformed into parts that make helmets more sustainable. Our non-functional parts consist of up to 50% recycled marine plastics.
The benefits are both tangible and measurable. For example, on one of our models, using a 100% recycled marine plastic visor and fit belt saves 17.8g of Co2 compared to the virgin-plastic equivalent components When multiplied across thousands of helmets, the cumulative savings add up to meaningful reductions in emissions.
This is the same approach we have taken with recycled EPS liners and rPET bottle-based padding systems and other BioDome materials, which have already reduced CO2 output by 783,819.73 kg from 2021 to 2023, and part of what’s made our award winning, 100% recycled and 100% recyclable RMR helmet models possible.
Strategic Sports has pledged to be carbon neutral and operate on 100% renewable energy by 2030, and this is just one of the steps we’re taking to ensure we get there. Our commitment to SBTi, ISO 14001 certification and solar power at all our factories are only a few, and part of the reason why Strategic Sports was named Sustainability Partner of the Year by Revelyst, a collection of 34 premier outdoor brands including Bell Helmets, Giro, Camelbak and Fox Racing.
At every step, we look at each component, ask how it can be redesigned more sustainably, and close the loop so no material goes to waste. By integrating regrind, ocean plastics, and recycled materials into our products, we are cutting down on virgin resources and proving that sustainability and performance can coexist without compromise.
Our vision is clear: people first, build products smarter, and leave a lighter footprint.