Science in Action: Bioinspiration - Hair Mats
My little sister was actually the first person to show me this video. After the oil spill, the school invited someone to come speak to their class about possible environmentally-friendly cleanup options. She then came back home and was excited to show it to everyone.
I had no idea that there was this grassroots movement that had successes with past oil spills and had began working in the Gulf. The idea of human hair may weird people out a little bit, but the innovation is incredible. Other than the transportation costs, the product relies on human hair, recycled hosiery, and bugs; there are no created products and no byproducts in theory. With all the benefits that it provides and its low environmental cost, it seems to have an extra positive impact.
I found this process so special because it completes the sustainability cycle. The decomposition process through compost is so cool. The idea that this is a complete cycle provides the hope that other product cycles can be made sustainable. Taking waste products, using them for good, and then decomposing it so that there is no waste product left seems like a little bit of magic (or just good science).
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