HOME   |   EMPLOYMENT   |  LOCATIONS  |   CONTACT US
banner

Matter Of Trust
Posted 08-12-2009 1:09 pm by

Bookmark and Share
Help Clean the Planet – Recycle Hair Clippings

In 1989, Alabama hair stylist, Phil McCrory watched CNN coverage of the Exxon Valdez oils spill and noticed something: the incredible way the fur of Alaskan otters soaked up oil. With this in mind, McCrory began experimenting with the oil absorption properties of hair clippings from his salon, eventually inventing the “hairmat.” Hairmats are made by with a machine that pounds the hair into mats, which look and feel like thick felt. The mats can be used to soak up oil spills, then detoxified and remediated as compost material.  Plus, hair clippings are kept out of landfills.

Hairmat

Photo courtesy of Matter of Trust

Taking the hairmat concept and running with it, Matter of Trust, a San Francisco nonprofit established a network of salons across the country, from which they collect hair clippings. Hairmats generated from the project are used to clean up oil spills all over the world.

Recently, however, Matter of Trust has been unable to have the hair processed into mats due to economic and other issues – leaving them with 18,000 pound of unprocessed clippings in storage! This plight was featured in a recent front-page Wall Street Journal article, which will hopefully draw attention and funding for the Oil Spill Hairmat project.

To contribute financially, visit http://www.matteroftrust.org/contribute.html.  You can also begin to help by collecting hair from your salon to donate.  While Matter of Trust works to secure facilities, consider setting aside a box or bin in your salon to start collecting hair clippings to eventually donate. Donations of hair should be kept pending resources for storage and processing.

For more information on the project, please visit www.MatterOfTrust.org.


linkPermalink   commentsComments (0)   contactSend to a Friend

blog

Post New Comment
Name:
Email:
Message:
Show Contact Info:
  captcha

Please enter the text in the image exactly as it appears in the box.  
spacer