By Susan Bromley
Staff Writer
Brandon Twp.- Oily hair is such a problem for some people that they make shampoos specifically formulated to remedy it.
However, in the Gulf of Mexico, the ability of hair to collect oil isn’t being viewed as a problem, but as a solution. On April 20, an oil rig leased by BP exploded in the Gulf, killing 11 workers and spilling hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil into the ocean. The spill is a disaster that has spread, destroying ocean wildlife and threatening the U.S. coastline. Officials have struggled to contain the spill, but an ecological public charity, Matter of Trust, has stepped forward to help with the cleanup, and a local hair salon has joined the effort with help from their clients.
Amedae Salon, 2211 Allen Road, has been collecting hair from customer cuts to give to Matter of Trust. The charity will use the hair to create hairmats to soak up the oil from the Gulf spill.
‘We have to pay for the shipping and box it up and take it to the post office, but it’s not a big deal and it’s good for the community,? said Amedae Owner Denise Young. ‘I like to recycle and this is another way to recycle and do something to help.?
In about one week’s time, the salon collected about 10 pounds of hair from customer cuts to give to the charity, which besides salons, also takes hair donations from dog groomers and sheep shearers. Volunteers for Matter of Trust take the hair collected and stuff nylons with it to absorb the oil.
Young planned to ship the collected hair on Thursday, but said she will continue to collect hair to ship to the charity, for further use for this spill, or for future oil spills.
Details: 248-627-8522 or www.matteroftrust.org.