The Green Groove by Trish Smith
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Hair….it's everywhere! From Einstein's disheveled 'do to Donald Trump's side-swept style, hair has become the defining characteristic of many people. Thanks to the hard work of Matter of Trust, a non-profit organization dedicated to the creation of sustainable systems, recycling hair just may be a defining part of the green movement.

Did you know that there are over 300,000 hair salons in the U.S., and that these salons clean up about a pound of hair every day? It's true, and although some people are generous enough to donate their hair to non-profit organizations like Locks of Love, most of us just let the stylists sweep it up and throw it away.

Matter of Trust realized that something could be done with all of this excess hair, so they commissioned the help of salons across the U.S. for hair donations. Paul Mitchell salons even offered cheaper haircuts and donated the hair from their customers to this cause. And what cause was it: to make recycled oil spill hair mats.

Before you start second-guessing this invention, think about how your hair gets oily if you don't shampoo it. This is because your hair absorbs oil from the air, your skin and even water, so it's the perfect natural alternative to traditional synthetic oil spill kits.

Matter of Trust's recycled hair mats can soak up 1 quart of oil in one minute. When the oil is absorbed, you can even stuff the hair into a tube made from recycled nylons to contain it!

Here's a demo of the hair mats in action.

This is a wonderful product that could save the lives of millions of marine animals who are exposed to oil spills. It's also a great way to unite people across the country in good recycling habits.

Salons are still mailing their hair clippings to Matter of Trust today, so the next time you get your hair cut, tell your salon to sign up for Matter of Trust's Hair for Oils Program.