According to the Hair Recycle Project, human hair can help clean up environmental pollutants by absorbing them. Read to know more about it.
Human hair can help clean up the environment
According to a Belgium-based non-profit organization called Dung Dung, Human hair can help in cleaning up the environment. The non-profit’s Hair Recycle Project aims at developing recovery tactics for waste. Additionally, the project is focusing on using these methods for boosting the economy. Their work revealed that one kilogram of human hair is capable of absorbing between seven to eight liters of hydrocarbons and oil.
The novel technique can help in absorbing oil and hydrocarbons that are contributing to air and water pollution. Experts believe that it can be used for oil spills. “Our products are all the more ethical as they are manufactured locally… they are not imported from the other side of the planet,” stated Patrick Janssen. Janssen is the co-founder of the project. “They are made here to deal with local problems,” he added.
More on the project
Dung Dung’s project also revealed that human hair can be used as a fertilizer. This is because it is a rich source of nitrogen. However, since most of the hair comes from donations hence, the source is limited. A Reuters report revealed that companies around the planet are experimenting to find various applications.
As per the official Hair Recycle Project website, “one strand can support up to 10 million times its weight. As well as absorbing fat and hydrocarbons, it is water-soluble and highly elastic due to its keratin fibers”. Several hairdressers across Belgium are paying a small fee to the project for collecting hair cuttings. “What motivates me, personally, is that I find it a shame hair is nowadays just thrown in the bin when I know that so much could be done with it,” stated Isabelle Voulkidis. Voulkidis is the manager of the Helyode salon, based in Brussels.
