Project Green Hair to aid in oil cleanup
A local hair stylist is spearheading a relief effort, Project Green Hair, to offer aid in the expanding oil leak crisis off the coast of Louisiana.
Since BP began attempts to contain the hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil a day leaking into the Gulf of Mexico, 22 days have passed without solution.
Ashley Alexander, of Studio 1030 in Greenbrier, said she initially felt the urge to travel to the coast to assist in cleanup efforts herself, but then heard of another way to help.
Hair, it seems, is a unique collector of oil.
Alexander became aware of an organization, Matter of Trust, which collects recycled hair and natural fibers to be woven into mats or stuffed into recycled nylons to make “booms.”
According to Matter of Trust’s website, Phil McCrory, a stylist from Alabama first realized the efficiency in using hair to absorb crude oil. McCrory then founded a company called Ottimat, which began a partnership with Matter of Trust more than 10 years ago to “orchestrate an international natural fiber recycling system.”
The idea of reusing hair and natural fibers associated with manufacturing would also stimulate “green” jobs in the textile industry, the website said.
The collected fibers in the form of booms or mats are shipped to areas affected by oil spills and used to filter oil out of the polluted waters.
According to Alexander, a cubic foot of the recycled hair absorbs almost eight gallons of oil in less than three minutes.
Alexander contacted 28 salons over the weekend and even some pet groomers, and almost all were willing to participate.
“I got a great response,” Alexander said. “Everyone seemed interested and a lot of them were talking about the concept already. They said they would start saving their hair. I’m just waiting on phone calls.”
Alexander, with the assistance of her friends and family, will go to businesses to pick up collected hair, but it is her hope that with volunteers, a collection system will emerge.
Alexander will remain in contact with leaders of Matter of Trust, as the collection address changes due to the movement of oil through the coastlines.
Alexander hopes Project Green Hair is one that will continue after the Gulf Coast spill is cleaned.
“Once this spill is cleaned up, it isn’t over. I want this to be a long term recycle program for hair,” Alexander said. “As long as there’s oil, there’s going to be oil spills. If this is a method chosen to help clean that up, we need to be prepared and keep sending in hair to wherever it can be collected.”
To assist in Project Green Hair, contact Alexander at 269-7935 or Conrad Shriar at 733-5532 to arrange for pick-up.
(Staff writer Courtney Spradlin can be reached by e-mail at courtney.spradlin@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1236. To comment on this and other stories in the Log Cabin, log on to www.thecabin.net. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)
