Do you have used HUMAN hair extensions, or hair cut, and ready to donate? Check out Matter of Trust (1) for ways to recycle hair using their Clean Wave Program. Matter of Trust is an amazing nonprofit organization that is focused on using hair donations to help clean up oil spills in the environment. Who knew hair could be so much more than aesthetically pleasing on the head? Hair, surprisingly, turns to be a potent weapon against oil spills, because of its remarkable ability to absorb five times its weight in oil. Additionally, hair mats placed in water work fast, soaking up oil at a more rapid rate than the polypropylene booms that are most often used to clean up spills. (2)
If you are a stylist throwing away your used extensions, save them instead!
1.) After removing the extension, lay them on a hackle or paddle brush, facing in the same direction, (I like to lay my extensions in one direction, with the tip/bond/adhesive facing away from me).
2.) Once all extensions are removed and are laying in same direction on hackle/paddle brush, I simply tie a rubber band around the hair, right below the tips/bonds/adhesives.
3.) I then, simply trim off the tips/bonds/adhesives so there is ABSOLUTELY NO GLUE OR ADHESIVES left on the extensions. NOTE: *(Lazy trimming's cause issues with the machines that weave the hair into mats, so please take your time!)
4.) Place lose hair in a bag/envelope and mail it to us at: FAIRY HAIR P.O. BOX 4103 CLEARWATER, FL 33758; as we have partnered with Matter of Trust to collect and send hair from other stylists so more mats may be created to help soak up oil spills in the environment.