In a Japanese town called Sarufutsu, an idea has arisen from making use of the 40,000 tons of seashells that appear on its coasts. Two local companies, Quantum and Koushi Chemical, have joined forces to develop an industrial-use helmet called Shellmet, which is created from this excess marine material. Inspired by a long lasting tradition of respect on nature embedded in the Japanese culture, these helmets are 33% stronger than those built with other oil based materials and their manufacturing process generates 36% less emissions compared to the process that has been used for decades in their construction.
These helmets use biomimicry for their design and weight only 400 grams, due to its composition (calcium carbonate with recycled plastic). Seashells are boiled, sterilized and then pulverized and transformed into calcium carbonate. Thereafter, it is mixed with pulverized recycled plastic and pellets, or granulated material are obtained. These are heated and molded into the shape of helmets. This process requires less energy compared with other processes and generates fewer greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, it uses of recycled material. Altogether, these features make them an excellent sustainable solution
At the moment, these helmets are being used in local fishing activities, but their creators say that it is perfectly possible that they could be used for jobs that require high protection.
Source: NIUS
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