Hair Matters Program
We collect hair, fur, wool, fleece… fibers and felt mats for oil spills, soil mulch & seagrass restoration… Join us!
Why this matters?
Our goals are to help clean polluted water, to divert useful fibers from the waste stream, to provide recycling education and create green jobs. We accept donations of hair, fur, wool, fleece… clippings from individuals, salons, groomers, farmers… We sort these into useful stockpiles by length and manufacture felted mats products that soak up petrochemicals in stormdrains, wells, filtration systems, rivers, oceans…
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Do you want to donate hair / fur / fleece?
We are accepting donations from everywhere at this time. See videos.
1st step: Because of the volume of donations, we ask everyone to SIGN UP (it’s fast, free and spam free). We get so many wonderful donations and we don’t want any to go to an old address and get returned. We have various felters, around the US and the world, who can accept at different times of year depending upon spills and available space. For more info, also see our FAQ.
2nd step: Please see our quick instructions on lengths, packaging and how to mail us the fiber.
Do you want to make hair mats?
If you are interested in working with our HAIR MATTERS Program, by 2030 we are seeking 300 satellite partners around the world and we have a starter kit fund.
You need a free space such as: garage, warehouse, farm shed, workshop… away from your living area as this work can create a hairy situation!
Do you need hair mats?
Oil gets into our waterways from spills, leaky vehicles, chemicals dumped into storm drains, accidents, etc.
If your business, harbor, city, airport… wants to purchase hair mats to support our program or be part of a pilot study, please let us know.
These mats are very sturdy and can be driven over by trucks and ski equipment. They can survive the elements and are hydrophobic.
Research & Resources
Here you will find lab results, university research papers, lesson plans, demonstration videos, FAQs, useful flyers and more!
HAIR MATTERS Global Hub Partners
Check out the Matter of Trust network of wonderful felters, researchers, artists, recyclers and entrepreneurs all around the world! We are lucky to have as partners these cottage industry small businesses, alpaca farms, mini mills, hair salons, wig makers, large recyclers, animal rescue sites, and many more… Explore and join us!
HAIR MATTERS Media Gallery
Journalists are our heroes! All of our outreach has come from press and word of mouth. Feel free to contact us. If you are from the media and need any of our photos or videos, please cite matteroftrust.org or if the image has been donated to us, cite the name noted in lower right corner. Thank you!
HAIR MATTERS Program History
In 1999, Lisa Gautier, Matter of Trust founder and President, began a partnership with Phil McCrory, a hair stylist and inventor from Alabama. Years earlier, Phil had been washing an oily head of hair while watching CNN coverage of otters covered in petrol during the famous Exxon Valdez accident in Alaska. It occurred to him that he was cutting fiber that could be used to soak up oil spills...
*Please note: This program, formerly known as Clean Wave, has been renamed Hair Matters.
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