Have you ever brushed your pet’s fur, seen piles of hairballs, and thought, “Will this help reduce oil pollution?” Well, neither have we, but Lisa Gauthier, founder and president of Matter of Trustopens in a new tab, absolutely has.
Gauthier works at the Eco-Industrial Center in San Francisco, surrounded by people who have felted hair and fur into rug-like squares that will eventually help clean up petrochemical waste in our waterways by absorbing oil from oil spills. Clean Wave opens in a new tab is one of Matter of Trust’s recycling initiatives that has made significant progress in sustainable ocean cleanup solutions. Once you understand how they do it, you’ll see molting in a whole new light.
In 1989, Phil McCrory, a hairstylist from Huntsville, Alabama, was washing a customer’s hair when he saw a CNN report about the Exxon Valdez oil spill. It occurred to him that we wash our hair because it collects oil, and he wondered if the hair that accumulates on salon floors every day could be used to clean up disaster areas.
It turns out McCrory was right. Human hair and animal fur are very effective at absorbing oil. When an unexpected spill occurs, synthetic sorbents (materials specifically designed to absorb oil and repel water) are often the first line of defense. However, research shows that natural adsorbents like hair and fur can be even more effective than these commercial products. If you wash your hair too much, you may find that your hair can absorb about five times its own weight in oil.
McCrory began learning everything he could about oil spill cleanup, eventually inventing the Hairmat, a product made entirely from discarded hair that could be used in any body of water contaminated by oil. The key to turning a pile of hair into an absorbent device is a hair loom, the same equipment typically used to make carpets and carpet pads. As the name suggests, this machine quickly punctures the fibers with a series of needles, creating a seamless felt mat.
Oil spills cause damage to marine ecosystems because compounds derived from oil continue to persist in these environments long after the spill has apparently dissipated. Despite increased safety and enforcement regulations, oil storage and pipeline accidents continue to occur, threatening aquatic life and nearby terrestrial communities.
Stormwater pollution (oil-based pollutants entering local waterways via storm drains) and pollution of freshwater bodies and filtration systems do not get as much attention as more visible marine spills, but they actually account for a much larger share of petrochemical pollution in water. The wool cloths used to clean up oil spills are also excellent at this problem.
Ten years after McCrory’s first inspiration, Gauthier heard him talking about his apartment on a TV news show. She had just founded an organization whose mission was to connect surplus with need, so she decided to reach out to him. Soon after, they formed a formal partnership, and Matter of Trust began collecting hair from thousands of salons across the country. And so, the Clean Wave Project was born.
In 2016, Matter of Trust was shipping tons of hair every day to its Bay Area warehouse, but with real estate prices skyrocketing and the carbon emissions associated with shipping, Gauthier saw an opportunity to decentralize the process. The organization began working on a collaborative program where anyone with space and a passion for the craft could request a needle machine and make mats for their community.
Today, Matter of Trust has partners on every continent. They meet twice a year to share tips, resources, and new innovations. “We’re kind of a test kitchen,” said Gauthier, of the San Francisco-based Eco-Industry Center. “We listen to these amazing felt artists and researchers and try out their ideas.”
The collaborative nature of Clean Waves goes beyond the felters themselves. Anyone with excess hair can contribute to cleaning the waters by taking it to their nearest felting center. The main donors are alpaca farmers and husky rescue groups, but if you frequently throw away hairballs, you can do your part, too.
So if you’re wondering what to do with all that dog (or cat) hair, here’s how you can help: “We try to make it as accessible as possible,” Gauthier said. Clean Wave accepts donations of hair, fur, wool, and fleece from all over the world. To donate dog hair, you just need to sign up on the site and get a mailing address and a tax-deductible receipt. The trash-free fibers are packaged (Gauthier asks that you don’t pick up hair from your pet’s tail) and mailed to be made into rugs. Bonus points if you include a photo of your adorable pet with the generously donated hair. “When we can share it on social media, it really helps us spread the word,” she added with a laugh.
If you take your pet to a groomer (or do it yourself at a salon!), ask them if they’d be willing to donate excess fur and be a part of the process. Matter of Trust makes it easy to organize large, ongoing donations. You can even download posters to display in your store to let customers know they’re helping restore polluted waterways.
The next time you brush your furry friend, if you find yourself wondering how such a small creature can produce so much fur, put it in a Clean Wave bag and know that you are caring about the health and safety of people and animals everywhere.
Maya is a freelance writer who strives to help people treat our planet with more compassion through storytelling. She lives in Chicago with her dog, Max, and cat, Ruby. You can find her at maiawelbel.com (opens in a new tab) and @mwelbelopens (opens in a new tab).
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