This may sound a little absurd, but the next time you (or your pet) are getting your haircut, mention the idea of saving the hair instead of throwing it in the trash - in a totally not-crazy way, of course. The possible embarrassment will be worth it because this is for the better of the planet. You will be improving the environment's safety and saving many sea animals. You may be asking how it is that we keep the environment safe by not throwing out hair? Well, that is possible with the help of the Matter of Trust Organization.
In November of 1998, a non-profit charity was formed in San Francisco to create a new and innovative way to collect oil spills in the water and on land. Lisa Craig Gautier, the founder and president of Matter of Trust sat down with Murali N. Krishnaswamy for an interview and spoke about how this organization came to be. She explains how Phil McCrory, a hairstylist, came up with the idea of using hair mats to collect oil spills. Together, they were able to use this innovative solution to start improving the environment just a year later.
Hair is extremely absorbent and has the ability to absorb its weight 4x in oil. In the past, mats used to soak up oil spills were made of different materials that only added to pollution in order to make them. Hair mats are an eco-friendly alternative that are being used more and more frequently; the only other material used to make the mats are nylon tights which the hair is p ut into.
To be able to donate hair or fur, the only requirement is that it must be 3 centimeters or longer. If your mom or aunt cut your hair, don’t worry you can still donate! Donations are not exclusive to only pet shops or salons. The Matter of Trust website has directions on how to properly donate and where to ship the hair too. Unfortunately oil spills are a recurring event that have become far too common. Just one liter of oil contaminates a total of 1 million gallons of water. How insane is that! Both people and animals get their hair cut all the time, and if the salons are not properly informed, that hair will most likely be thrown out and will go to waste. It is for this reason that people should help educate others on how much donations can make a change for cleaner oceans.
