At Green Salon Collective, we’re always fascinated by the quirky, the green, and the game-changing. One particularly 'hair-raising idea' is repurposing human hair to grow things. We collect hair from salons across the UK and Ireland and recycle it into new things! It's rich in nitrogen, biodegradable, and it doesn't belong in landfill. So, here are five imaginative ways you can grow something with hair.
1. Feed Your Houseplants
Hair is packed with keratin, a protein that breaks down slowly and releases nitrogen over time, it's a nutrient your houseplants will love. By mixing chopped hair into your compost or potting soil, or by placing it at the bottom (and top) of you plant pot, you can help retain moisture and nourish the plant as the hair breaks down.
2. Boost Your Garden or Farm
In agriculture, hair can be used in a similar way to in our own houseplants. From hair mats to mixing hair into compost to just placing hair on the ground, farmers and gardeners have started using hair as a soil amendment, especially for crops that thrive on nitrogen. Some even line seed trenches with hair, or hedgerows, to help with moisture retention and deter pests like slugs and deer.
Salons create kilos of waste hair every week...imagine the impact if it all went to soil, not landfill.
3. Grow Sustainable Clothing
This one’s for the future-forward thinkers. Innovative designers are using human hair as a textile fibre to weave entirely new forms of clothing and accessories. It might sound strange, but it's surprisingly strong, lightweight, and totally biodegradable.
Artists like Beth Williams have grown living clothing with hair and plants, and made jewellery like a necklace! Learn more about Beth's living works here.
4. Cultivate Mushrooms
Hair isn’t just good for plants, mycelium and fungi love it too! Hair can act as a base substrate for growing certain types of mushrooms. Its can also be mixed with other organic materials like coffee grounds or sawdust to produce an even stronger crop, with hair adding essential nutrients and structure.
Here is some incredible work by Osarode to grow Oyster Mushrooms with hair - learn more.
Mycelium has been grown with hair in a few different ways! Learn more here.
5. Create Living Art
Hair can be sculpted into soil-free plant holders, used as a canvas for growing moss, or mixed into clay to create biodegradable planters. Some artists blend hair with seeds, paper pulp, or bio-resin to create installations that literally sprout over time.
It’s an unusual medium, but one that pushes us to rethink waste and beauty: what if growth and decay are the art?
From the soil in your pots to the clothes on your back, hair is far more than a grooming byproduct — it’s a biodegradable, nitrogen-rich material waiting to be reimagined. These five ideas are just the beginning. Whether you're a gardener, designer, artist or eco-curious citizen, the next time you sweep up a handful of hair, consider how you might grow something with it.