What do you do with all that 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.

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.

Hair Mats 3

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 combined 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.

Wool Alternatives 5

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-forcompost wool.

Hair Rope Making 6

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.

Hair Felt 7

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.

Architecture 8

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.

Wigs 9

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.

Art 10

We can turn hair into dresses and clothes by working with dressmakers and designers. In 2022, Green Salon Collective was featured in museums across the UK and Europe showcasing what can be done with hair.