Last updated on May 22, 2023
Ever wondered how your hair can get so oily? Human hair is incredibly efficient at absorbing oil, with just one kilogram of hair being able to absorb 8 liters of oil! The Belgian nonprofit Hair Recycle Project uses human hair to combat oil pollution in waterways.
First, human hair is collected from hairdressers and other donations. Wool and fur are also collected from farmers and pet groomers. Then the hair goes through a machine that turns them into matted rectangles. Finally, the mats are used to soak up oil pollution in bodies of water. The ability of hair to absorb 5 times its weight in oil makes it incredibly efficient at cleaning oil spills.
Oil spills are an environmental issue that often involves accidents in pipelines, refineries, drilling rigs, ships, and more. These spills harm wildlife by destroying the insulation of animals with fur, causing habitat loss, and inducing toxic health effects from inhaling or consuming oil. Up to 25,900 marine mammals have been killed by oil spills, as well as 82,000 birds and 6,165 sea turtles.
Oil spills can be harmful to a wide variety of ecosystems and wildlife. Luckily, the harmful effects of oil spills have decreased in recent years due to conservation efforts from organizations such as the Hair Recycle Project.
Works Cited
“Belgian Project Uses Human Hair to Help the Environment.” VOA Learning English, 10 January 2023, https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/belgian-project-uses-human-hair-to-help-the-environment/6898045.html. Accessed 1 April 2023.
“A DeADly Toll.” Center for Biological Diversity, 11 April 2011, https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/public_lands/energy/dirty_energy_development/oil_and_gas/gulf_oil_spill/pdfs/GulfWildlifeReport_2011.pdf. Accessed 1 April 2023.
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