Local salon donates hair clippings to help with oil spill cleanup

Hairport store owner Diana King and her employees are doing their part to help prevent the oil spill off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico from reaching land.

King's mother heard a news story on the Weather Channel about how beauty salons and barbers were saving and donating their cut hair to be used in the oil spill cleanup. King brought the idea to her shop to see if the employees would be interested.

Hairport stylist Tracie Henry offered to pay for the cost of shipping of the hair.

"We recently started collecting the cut hair of our patrons this week and have so far filled up half of our 33-gallon bag," Henry said.

Recent calculations made by Matter of Trust, a not-for-profit environmental protection and education charity, estimate one pound of "clean" hair, which is hair that is mostly free of oils, can help absorb up to one quart of oil. The charity, which also helped during the 2007 San Francisco Cosco Busan oil spill, has organized its International Natural Fiber Recycling Movement.

According to Matter of Trust, the hair is collected and stuffed into recycled nylons and covered in mesh to make booms or, when possible, woven into hair mats in an effort to help absorb the oil.

King said she decided to do this to help save the animals in the sea and to also prevent the oil from reaching land.

"A lot of our patrons that we serve vacation there," she said.

King estimates that the six stylists at King's shop see at least 10 to 12 customers each day.

"I don't know of any other salons or pet groomers who are doing this, but I want to do my part of getting the message out," she said.

For more information on how to help King and her shop's efforts, call 334-8830 or stop by Hairport at 2033 Independence St. in Cape Girardeau.

Hairport will donate the collected hair to Matter of Trust. For more information on how to donate or help for the Gulf Coast cleanup, visit the organization's website, www.matteroftrust.org.

rhenry@semissourian.com

388-3648