“Shear” genius: Clic Recycle creates mulch with human hair
In Spain, Clic Recycle has developed a biodegradable mulch made from human hair and plant fibers. Dubbed Clic Terra™, the mulch combines human hair sourced from professional hair salons with industrial hemp and other plant fibers. It is suitable for ground cover across all types of crops and reduces water consumption by up to 40%, according to Hortidaily.com.
“In many parts of France, growers have been spreading human hair around vineyards since ancient times to keep wild boar, deer, rabbits, and small mammals away from the vines and crops, though it always had to be removed afterwards because it didn’t break down well enough,” says Valérie Itey, founder and managing director of the company. “That made me think that, from a circular economy perspective, hair, treated as a waste product from hair salons, could be put to use. But to make it 100% biodegradable, we needed to blend it with other plant fibers, and at the same time that gave us the opportunity to replace far more problematic materials like agricultural plastic.”
Category: Chemicals & Materials
