In Australian salons, more than 400 tonnes of hair clippings are produced every year.

That's a lot of material going into landfill that couple otherwise be given a second life and help impact the planet in better ways. Hair is actually an amazing resource with organic properties such as absorbtion and soil enrichment.

What happens to the hair we collect?

The hair that Waste Free Systems collects from customers is brought to our handling and sorting facility, where it's processed and prepared for use in secondary products.

Hair Booms

Hair has natural properties that make it an excellent absorber of oils. Hair Booms are long "socks" that are filled with hair and fur, and used in environmental management programs for containing oil or fuel spills in water, or on building and construction sites where sediment and run off needs to be kept out of waterways and drains.

Other booms on the market are filled with plastics and non-recyclable materials. WFS Hair Booms are made from 1m (100m diameter) industrial-grade filter sock, and approx. 1.5kg of natural recycled hair.

Waste Free Systems can manufacture hair booms for:

• Local councils

• Construction and building contractors

• Marinas and harbours

• Environmental groups

Contact us for availability and pricing of our Hair Booms.

Land restoration and fertiliser

We can provide hair for natural soil enrichment, or for land restoration projects. Hair not only gives nutrients back to the soil, but is an excellent natural, light-weight base material for embankments, garden beds and other landscaping use cases where the topology needs to be built up and restored.

• Nutrient-rich: Hair is high in protein (keratin), which is rich in nitrogen, making it an effective natural fertilizer. It also contains carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and sulphur.

• Slow-release nutrients: The nitrogen and other nutrients in hair break down slowly, providing a continuous and long-lasting source of nutrition for plants.

• Moisture retention: Hair can improve the soil's ability to hold water, which can be beneficial during dry periods.

• Soil stabilisation: It can provide a sturdy matrix, which is useful for supporting plant roots. 

We are also trialing the combination of hair with coffee grounds collected from cafes to create enriched garden fertiliser.

Contact us for more information about how we can supply hair for your land restoration and environmental project.

Ponytail Donations

Ponytails can be donated through our Ponytail Angel program to be supplied to various wig-making partners, often making them for adults and children going through cancer therapies or who are living with long-term hair-loss. Partners include Mr Walker's Wiggery and Variety, The Children's Charity.