Scholarly record
RECYCLING OF HUMAN HAIR AND ITS APPLICATIONS IN MANUFACTURING
Abstract
Human hair constantly grows and it needs to be cut. Moreover, it degrades slowly, which causes it to be long-lasting. Therefore, society generates waste that needs to be stored for a long time. Furthermore, it is an inevitable type of waste regarding the perpetual nature of the growing hair process. The management of the human hair waste is necessary and if done responsibly, it can be a chance for manufacturing sustainable devices and products by making a second use of this raw material. Recycling of the human hair described in the paper can be done through varied methods. There are the oldest ways, such as ropes, wigs and strands manufacturing, and also more recent ways: concrete reinforcement, plant fertilizers, animal repellents. Conducted research verifies human hair’s ability to purify contaminated water and it searches for the differences in performance depending on colour and applied treatments. Strands of hair were submerged in water with motor oil and then taken out to test the adsorptive properties of hair. Additionally, the study features respondents’ opinions on the use of human hair in industrial applications. The raised topic leads to ethical concerns related to morals and responsibility, simultaneously enabling creation of the space for this biomaterial to be a part of the circular economy. There is a possibility for human hair recycling to be more common in the future.
Publication details
References6
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