Ever look at the leftover hair after grooming your dog and wish there was something useful you could do with it? The last time I "FURminated" my dog, I ended up with a huge pile of fur that was almost the size of my dog! It seemed like a shame to let all that hair go to waste. I felt like I should have been recycling it or something. Well, now I can do something with that hair, and it's for a great cause.
Matter of Trust, a non-profit ecological group, has been collecting hair from humans and animals and using it to help clean up oil spills. How does it work? Well, because hair absorbs oil, large quantities of it can soak up quite a bit of oil. Matter of Trust uses hair and fur to weave mats and create containment booms (nylons stuffed with hair) that soak up the oil. They can make use of human hair, wool and hair/fur from dogs, cats and horses. All over the country, hair is being contributed by salons, dog groomers, schools and pet owners. Currently, the hair is being used to help clean up the recent oil spill in the gulf, a tragedy that has hit quite close to home for many of us. You can contribute hair from your own pets, but hair in bulk is even better. Consider starting a community project with other pet owners in your area. You can hold a "Fur Drive" and turn it into a fun and charitable event. Cat lovers - you can use feline fur too! Franny Syufy, Guide to Cats, has several ideas for clever uses of cat fur.
Here's how to send hair to Matter of Trust. Happy Grooming!
Photo © tamadhanaval on flickr
Comments
A HUGE THUMBS UP!!!!
This could be a really great program if they had enough storage and people to make it work. I looked into this for my groomer and was told they had an over abundance of pet hair and no place to store it while they found enough people and nylon to make the booms with.
Kelly
Great coverage, Jenna! Petco is also collecting pet fur through its 1000 grooming salons.
Despite what Mom always told me, there are more uses for cat fur than making kitten britches. ;-D
I know nothing about this, but this was posted on another discussion board about the hair….fyi
“Just from a 20 year oil spill response expert who has had first hand dealings with the hair folk before. I happen to be fully engaged here in Louisiana since the initial explosion.
All products used for oil absorption on the waters of the US must be registered and approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency. They maintain a list of approved products. This hair product is not on the list. There are issues with latent soaps and other chemicals in the hair that make approval tough due to the variability of the product.”
Interesting! Ihope that everyone enjoyed Mother’s Day last weekend and enjoyed the recent holiday yeserday.