At Matter of Trust, recycled hair clippings are made into mats and booms that help corral and sop up spilled oil. A call to action has been issued in order to collect donations of feathers, hair—both pet and human—and clean nylon stockings to help clean up the Gulf oil spill. The nylons are stuffed with hair and feathers, then deployed to help with rounding up and soaking in waterborne spilled oil.
The current Gulf oil spill disaster is getting a lot of press, but there are over 2,600 oil spills each year that release an average of 726 million gallons of oil into waterways, half of that is from illegally dumped motor oil. A single quart of oil can contaminate a million gallons of water.
Oil cleanup is a difficult, nearly impossible task, but hair donations from schools, salons, and others can help Matter of Trust to make oil-absorbing hair mats and booms that mitigate some of the damage done from spilled oil.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Recycled Materials for Oil Spill Cleanup
- Exploring the use of recycled materials such as hair, feathers, and stockings for oil spill cleanup presents a disruptive innovation opportunity in the environmental and waste management industries.
- Eco-friendly Oil Spill Cleanup Techniques
- Developing eco-friendly oil spill cleanup techniques using recycled materials presents a disruptive innovation opportunity in the environmental, energy, and oil and gas industries.
- Community Partnership for Oil Spill Cleanup
- Establishing partnerships with community organizations, schools, and salons for hair and feather donations to make oil-absorbing mats and booms presents a disruptive innovation opportunity in the social enterprise and waste management industries.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Environmental Industry
- The environmental industry can explore the use of recycled materials and eco-friendly techniques for oil spill cleanup.
- Waste Management Industry
- The waste management industry can leverage the use of recycled materials such as hair and feathers for oil spill cleanup, and partner with community organizations for donations and sustainable waste management practices.
- Oil and Gas Industry
- The oil and gas industry can adopt eco-friendly oil spill cleanup techniques using recycled materials to promote sustainable practices and mitigate environmental damage.
