A Belgian NGO Dung Dung has found a novel way to utilize human hair waste that would otherwise end up in landfills. Hair gathered from hairdressers is put to good use with The Hair Recycle Project which turns hair and braids into matted squares or hair mats, which can then be made into bio-composite bags or utilized to absorb oil and other harmful hydrocarbons. They can also be used to clean up oil spills and address pollution issues brought on by flooding.

According to the project's website, hair is robust, durable, and can sustain up to 10 million times its own weight, absorb fat and hydrocarbons, and is very elastic and water-soluble because of its keratin fibers.

The distinctive properties of human hair, such as its distinct chemical composition, slow rate of deterioration, high tensile strength, thermal insulation, elastic recovery, scaly surface, unique interactions with water and oils, and its socio-cultural significance, have enabled a wide range of applications.

Patrick Janssen, the co-founder of the Project, claims that 1 kilogram (2.2 lbs) of hair may absorb 7-8 liters (1.8-2.1 U.S. gallons) of oil and other hydrocarbons, making the products useful for cleaning water of impurities before it enters rivers. He also noted how their goods are ethical because they are made locally rather than outsourced to other nations.

Hair has many advantages over synthetic materials, which are typically used to absorb spills. It is infinitely available, biodegradable, and cost-free to produce (hair grows on us at a rate of roughly 1 cm a month). Hair sponges are washable, so they can be reused. 

Thus, it's amazing that human hair waste that due to their slow integration would otherwise have taken a lot of room in landfills is being used to prepare products that are beneficial for the environment.