Company debuts 'green' hard hat

PITTSBURGH, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- A U.S. safety equipment maker says its new hard hat, made from a plastic sourced from sugarcane, is the first to be manufactured from renewable sources.

MSA, based in Pittsburgh, says their new V-Gard GRN hard hat gives workers the option of using protective gear that not only helps to protect their head but protects the environment as well.

Manufactured by MSA in Brazil, the hat is similar to conventional hard hats made from high-density polyethylene, but the HDPE used in the V-Gard GRN model is sourced entirely from sugarcane, an MSA release said Wednesday.

"By developing a hard hat sourced from sugar, we have reduced the overall carbon footprint that's associated with the entire life-cycle of this particular product, from start to finish," said Eric Beck, MSA's Global Director of Strategic Marketing.

"Green" polyethylene is made from sugarcane ethanol, which results in a smaller carbon footprint than HDPE sourced from petrochemicals, he said.