Kategorie: News
Innovative filters against water pollution from cut hair
Hair salons and Barber shops in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands collect cut hair. So far, tons of 'hair waste' from about 83,000 hairdressing salons - only in Germany - are disposed of in the residual waste every year, as only a few hairs are suitable for wigs. However, the question of whether the cut hair can still be used for something has always been present.
Now there is a start-up company in Germany that recycles any hair residues: Hairdressers give their cut hair to the company, where it is processed into hair filters for purifying water.
Hair has the special property of absorbing a lot of fat and does not lose this function even after it has been cut. Therefore, they are perfectly suited to be used as a natural cleaning agent against pollution such as oil, petrol and suntan lotion residues in bodies of water such as seas, rivers and lakes.
The founders of Hair Help the Oceans, Thomas Keitel & Emidio Gaudioso, explain their idea: "Together we were looking for a way to do something good with the hair we cut off and discovered the 'hair filters'. For us, the French association 'Coiffeure Justes' (fair hairdressers) from the south of France serves as a role model. They put the hair into old nylon stockings, tie them into rolls and then use them as filters in polluted waters. The suction function of the hair filter draws the oil out of the water."
Since the current year, cut hair has been collected from numerous partner hairdressing salons, which is then matted into hair mats and put into pantyhose-like tubes in Bückeburg, Germany. In the event of an emergency, these are to be used to fish oil, petrol and suntan lotion residues out of the water. According to the company, one kilogram of hair can filter out up to eight kilograms of oil and the process can be repeated up to eight times (after cleaning).
The hair filters can be used worldwide. In lakes and bodies of water, in front of industrial areas and on coasts to filter oils, fuel residues and suntan lotion from the water. In summer 2019, the hair filters were also used off Mauritius when a freighter ran aground there and lost several thousand tonnes of oil.
More information
HAIR HELP the Oceans UG i.G.
Web: https://www.hair-help-the-oceans.com
Mail: info@hair-help-the-oceans.com