Deploy Folding Table of contents
- The Oil Absorbing Capacity of Hair
- Why Hair ?
- The Science Behind it
- Hairdressers For Environment: global Hair Collection
- A Worldwide Endeavor
- Bridging Waste and Need
- Coiffeurs Justes and Their Fight Against Oceanic Pollution
- A Noble Cause
- The “Superpowers” of Hair Against Hydrocarbons
- Transforming Hair into Saviors
- Hair Sausages: a Breton Innovation Against Ecological Disasters
- Boudins Capillaires: the Breton Brainchild
- Adsorbing Properties: how One Kilo of Hair Can Secure Our Oceans
- A Statistics Game
- Creative Reuse: from Compost to Natural Antipollution Filters
- Recycle and Reuse
- Beyond Mauritius: the Global Impact of Hair Recycling
- Spreading Waves
Imagine your hair having the capacity to save the world, or rather, the oceans. Sounds utopian ? The reality is that human hair has been a remarkable tool in combating oceanic oil spills, proving to be an unconventional yet effective solution. The notion of using hair to absorb oil from devastating oil spills was put into practice during several incidents, notably the Wakashio oil spill off Mauritius in July 2020 which galvanized NGOs worldwide.
The Oil Absorbing Capacity of Hair
Why Hair ?
Hair fibers have a particular affinity towards oils. This natural attribute is what makes them superbly efficient at absorbing hydrocarbons. In fact, they can retain up to eight times their weight in oil.
The Science Behind it
The power of hair stems from its structure, with thousands of scales forming a complex network where hydrocarbons can be trapped and absorbed. This unique capacity is what transforms human hair into nature’s super sponge when faced with environmental catastrophes like oil spills.
Now let’s move on to see how this principle has been put into practical use globally.
Hairdressers For Environment: global Hair Collection
A Worldwide Endeavor
Around the globe, barbers and hairstylists have joined forces in an effort to clean our seas. They collect cut hair from salons and donate it for use in making devices to counteract pollution caused by petroleum products.
Bridging Waste and Need
This initiative not only helps fight against marine pollution but also addresses the issue of waste management as tons of discarded hairs are repurposed from being mere waste products into environment-saving tools.
From here, let’s delve into an exemplary initiative from France that has made a significant impact.
Coiffeurs Justes and Their Fight Against Oceanic Pollution
A Noble Cause
Coiffeurs Justes, an organization established in 2015 by Thierry Gras, stands at the forefront of this battle. They are dedicated to collecting hair clippings to create anti-pollution sausages or ‘boudins. ‘
We’ve seen how hair can be collected on a massive scale, but what happens when it gets transformed into a potent weapon against oil spills ?
The “Superpowers” of Hair Against Hydrocarbons
Transforming Hair into Saviors
Every kilogram of hair can absorb up to eight liters of hydrocarbons. This is why the hair sourced from salons nationwide is used to manufacture boudins.
Let’s now discover a fascinating innovation from Brittany that uses these superpowers in an inventive way.
Hair Sausages: a Breton Innovation Against Ecological Disasters
Boudins Capillaires: the Breton Brainchild
In the Brittany region of France, these packed hair sausages are engineered with special bags and buoys allowing them to float on water surfaces while absorbing oil pollutants.
So we have these boudins soaking up the oil spills but how much can they really do ?
Adsorbing Properties: how One Kilo of Hair Can Secure Our Oceans
A Statistics Game
Hair Weight (KG) | Oil Absorption Capacity (Liters) |
---|---|
1 | 8 |
As illustrated, the statistics are staggering, demonstrating the impressive oil adsorption capabilities of hair.
Now that we’ve understood how the hair is utilised, let’s look at some innovative ways the spent hair is repurposed.
Creative Reuse: from Compost to Natural Antipollution Filters
Recycle and Reuse
The ingenuity doesn’t stop with just oil absorption. These boudins can be washed and reused between six to ten times, making them a sustainable solution to marine pollution.
Finally, let’s take a moment to consider the global impact of this seemingly small-scale recycling initiative from Mauritius.
Beyond Mauritius: the Global Impact of Hair Recycling
Spreading Waves
Hair recycling has since become a wave of change that is resonating globally, inspiring similar initiatives around the world. The evidence shows how hair can be a precious resource providing a natural and non-chemical solution for protecting sensitive ecosystems from environmental disasters such as oil spills.
Our crowning glory – our hair – has never been more valuable. Its ability to absorb hydrocarbons makes it an asset in defending our oceans against harmful oil spills. With organizations like Coiffeurs Justes leading the charge, our salons are now part of an urgent global fight against ecological calamities. And as we have seen today, every strand counts.
As a young independent media, Moose Gazette aneeds your help. Please support us by following us and bookmarking us on Google News. Thank you for your support!