Recycling Hair

Photo by: TGKW

The human hair grows ¼ of an inch every month.  According to wisegeek.com, most men to get a haircut once every 5 weeks and women get their hair cut or trimmed once every 4-6 weeks depending on length and style.  With the high demand for a haircut and with salons lopping a pound of hair per day, the question can be raised: What can be done with all this hair?

One program, Locks of Love, has proven successful.  Started in 1997, the program accepts donations of long hair to fashion wigs for children suffering long-term medical hair loss. These recipients are often victims of severe burns or cancer patients who endured radiation treatments.  The hair prosthetics Locks of Love donates to children require no glue or tape and can survive rigorous activities like swimming, showering and gymnastics.  To date, Locks of Love has helped more than 2,000 children.

Shorter hair can also be recycled.  Matter of Trust is an organization that runs an outreach program to gather hair clippings from salons across the country.  The clippings are then woven into mats and have proven to be one of the best resources to clean up oil from oil spills. The mat can be dabbed on the beach to pick up oil droplets or placed on top of a water source to directly clean up an oil spill (see video).  Through the hard work and generosity of their donors, Matter of Trust has found a sustainable replacement for methods of oil cleanup that normally include plastic pads, booms and soapy chemicals.

For more information on how your salon or barber shop can join the efforts of Matter of Trust click here.