Human hair is set to be used to soak up ocean oil spills after a successful trial in France. The project, Coiffeurs Justes, has collected the material from hairdressing businesses in France, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg as part of a European recycling scheme. The hair is stuffed into nylon stockings to create tubes that float in water and absorb oil.
Following the test in the port of Cavalaire-sur-Mer, Coiffeurs Justes is awaiting approval from state authorities to begin full-scale production of the product, which is intended to be deployed in harbours and river ports by government bodies and environmental groups to help fight oil pollution and remove other pollutants from the water.
Project founder Thierry Gras said: “Hair is lipophilic, which means it absorbs fats and hydrocarbons.” His tubes of hair – which he plans to sell for €9 each – are about 2 feet long, can absorb eight times their weight in oil, and are a more sustainable alternative to synthetic sponges.
The tubes will not only help in the fight against marine oil pollution and other micro-pollutants, but will also provide a use for waste hair, most of which is sent to landfill, with the average hairdresser producing 29kg of it annually.
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Human hair is set to be used to soak up ocean oil spills after a successful trial in France. The project, Coiffeurs Justes, has collected the material from hairdressing businesses in France, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg as part of a European recycling scheme. The hair is stuffed into nylon stockings to create tubes that float in water and absorb oil.
Following the test in the port of Cavalaire-sur-Mer, Coiffeurs Justes is awaiting approval from state authorities to begin full-scale production of the product, which is intended to be deployed in harbours and river ports by government bodies and environmental groups to help fight oil pollution and remove other pollutants from the water.
Project founder Thierry Gras said: “Hair is lipophilic, which means it absorbs fats and hydrocarbons.” His tubes of hair – which he plans to sell for €9 each – are about 2 feet long, can absorb eight times their weight in oil, and are a more sustainable alternative to synthetic sponges.
The tubes will not only help in the fight against marine oil pollution and other micro-pollutants, but will also provide a use for waste hair, most of which is sent to landfill, with the average hairdresser producing 29kg of it annually.