Net Zero Manufacturing is a Net Positive for Everyone

We have always had a vision for creating personalized helmets and making KAV an integral part of our community. The Bay Area is home to six professional sports teams. Mountain biking found its roots in Marin County and the San Francisco Bay Area has a vibrant cycling culture. Paired with Silicon Valley's tech chops, the Bay Area is the perfect epicenter for reinventing helmets. We're blessed to be part of the community here and want to keep our home and our planet pristine.

As scientists and engineers, we understand the significance of global warming. But as athletes it really hits home in the sports we love. In hockey, we're seeing the window for backyard rinks and pond hockey up North shrink as the temperatures rise. In cycling, I've had two group rides canceled due to air quality from the Caldor and Dixie fires. With our low-emission model, KAV is committed to protecting your head and our planet.

Our made-to-order model inherently limits waste, and production here in the United States means we're not shipping products halfway across the world. Our Fab is designed to have a small footprint and over time will allow us to fabricate nearer to our customers. Every helmet is covered by a five-year warranty so your helmet is covered five times longer than its foam counterpart. On the off chance a helmet is damaged, 3D Printing allows us to provide replacement parts without having to replace the entire helmet, saving our landfills.

Moving forward, we're accelerating our plans to migrate to a net-zero emissions production line. Here are the actions we're taking as a company:
  • Joined the Plastic Impact Alliance in July and removed all one-time-use plastic bottles from our company. We took it a step further and use Soda Streams to eliminate canned beverages as well. 
  • The team regularly cycles to work. We save about two tons of carbon emissions a year by cycling. This factors in the extra salads and guilty pleasures we indulge post ride.
  • Submitted our application for Climate Neutral Certification. Currently a third of our power is sourced from renewable sources and we will use carbon offsets for the remainder. We have submitted our PG&E application to have our Fab entirely powered by renewable energy sources as we strive to minimize our emissions in the first place.
KAV bike helmet carbon calc

As we reach a critical mass of helmets in the market, we will begin designing helmets for recycling or reuse. The materials we utilize to provide superior protection and durability are not yet supported by recycling plants. We continue to investigate alternatives, though we believe this is at least two years away. Till then we'll prioritize making the best helmets possible so you won't have a reason to replace them.

While we're the first in the industry to go carbon neutral - our motivation is to accelerate change and with any luck, this becomes the industry norm. Like helping a stranded cyclist to fix a flat, or lending your water bottle to your hockey teammate on the bench - leaving the planet better off is just what we do for our fellow humans.

CEO (Chief Environment Officer),

Whitman

For the astute or wise ass amongst you - we do not use solar panels inside (cover photo). We're using solar panels to power our 3D Printers at the Sea Otter Classic. 

Sources:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/green-living-blog/2010/sep/23/carbon-footprint-new-car
https://woodly.com/carbon_neutrality/what-is-the-carbon-footprint-of-plastic/
https://www.pge.com/includes/docs/pdfs/about/environment/calculator/assumptions.pdf
https://askwonder.com/research/carbon-footprint-cardboard-boxes-single-double-wall-plastic-storage-boxes-nf5da5477
https://consumerecology.com/carbon-footprint-of-package-shipping-transport/