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We reuse and recycle hair in over 10 ways, to ensure that none of your lovely locks go to landfill!
Here's what we do with it...
Recycling services: HAIR
We all know that if hair is long enough we can donate it to make wigs. But what about the 99.9% of hair that isn't long enough?
There are many ways to recycle hair including making hair booms and hair mats as well as using it for gardening and composting.
Here are the 10 ways we currently recycle your hair:
1. Composting and Gardening
Hair is rich in Nitrogen, making it an ideal fertiliser for local and industrial composting.
2. Waterway Cleanups
Hair adsorbs oil and pollutants, even in water. We've used hair in this way to clean up oil spills and polluted rivers across the UK and Ireland.
A RECENT OIL SPILL
This spill in 2021 came from farmland in Northern Ireland, red diesel oil was leaking into the sea.
At the time of this picture GSC had collected about 400kgs of hair and we used about 30-45kgs of hair over this weekend in the clean up.
We are the first manufacturer of hair booms and mats in the UK and Ireland!
100% OF ANY MONEY MADE SELLING HAIR BOOMS AND MATS GOES TO CHARITY
3. Hair Mats
By felting hair with our unique machinery, we can create a hair mat that can be used to cover storm drains or clean up waterways
4. Regenerative Biomanufacturing
Working with Biohm, a London based regenerative biomanufacturer, your hair is being combines with their unique binding material 'orb', to create particleboard-like sheets as well as moulded 3D objects. They are also working with mycelium, the root structure of fungi, to grow around hair to create insulation panels.
5. Wool Alternatives
We are collaborating with Natural Fibre Co., a British woollen mill in Cornwall, to develop a hair-wool fibre alternative to petroleum or cotton based yarns, ropes and twines. Our current blend is 40:60 hair and wool blend using salon's waste hair and undervalued, destined-for-compost wool.
6. Hair Rope Making
We have created a truly unique workshop with our research partner, Sanne Visser, Design Researcher in Residence at The Design Museum. Our workshops invite people to explore hair rope making while inspiring them to rethink the concept of waste.
7. Hair Felt
Our Head of R&D, Stephanie Hodgson, is conducting an experiment to test the ability of 'potting felt' a product for houseplants made from salon hair waste, to save water, deter pests, and release nitrogen into the soil.
8. Architecture
Collaborating with architecture and research firm, Pareid, we explore the application of salon hair waste in architecture and building materials. Pareid are interested in visibly showcasing the presence of hair in final products and instalments as a way to compel people to consider the material not as waste but as a resource.
9. Wigs
We can use even the shortest of hair in the Green Salon Collective hair recycling projects, however, when the hair is long enough to create a wig, that is what we will do.
10. Art
Working with dressmakers and designers, we can turn hair into dresses and clothes. In 2022, Green Salon Collective was featured in museums across the UK and Europe showcasing what can be done with hair.
Curious about our Research and Development projects?
Learn more and get involved here.
Ready to Get Started?
If you'd like to turn your client's hair into one of the amazing things above, head to our shop to buy your starter kit and begin your recycling journey!
