I’ve got a big decision to make. I’ve been growing my hair for months, perhaps years to donate 10-inches of it to Locks of Love, an organization that makes hairpieces for children with long-term hair loss. But then I heard about Matter of Trust, a non-profit with a mission of using surplus materials for the good of the environment. They are currently busy making hair booms to lessen the impacts of the massive oil leak in the Gulf.

The oil leak is a hard reminder that technology sometimes fails us. It turns out that low-tech may in fact save the day (or at least part of it). There is quite a surplus or hair and fur out there from salons and pet groomers. Usually hair and fur are landfilled, but they could be so much more.

Hair can be used as a soil amendment, but right now we need hair to soak up oil as it approaches land and wildlife. Hair loves oil. This is why most of us wash our hair every day. The oil clings to the hair inside the hair boom, reducing the amount finding its way into fragile habitats. Apparently hair and fur from living beings works better than the fiberglass and petroleum-based products typically used for clean up. It kind of makes sense too. Why clean up oil with an oil-based product?

But it gets even better. The oily hair is then composted. Matter of Trust has used two methods for composting oil-spill clean-up materials that would normally be incinerated. The first is thermophillic (hot) composting followed by vermicomposting (composting with worms). The second method uses mushrooms to break down the oily hair. Mycelium (mushroom roots) produce enzymes that break down wood (this is why you see mushrooms on dead trees). Since petroleum and wood share similar molecular bonds, mushrooms seem to be the key composting ingredient. The result is a landscape-grade compost.

Back to the big question. What should I do with my hair? I’ve been carrying it around for quite a while, imagining it bringing some well-deserved joy to someone else. But then I see photos of dead birds from oil spills past and I’m truly torn.

Luckily, I’ve got connections. I’ll hit up my friend who works in a salon for all those less than 10-inch pieces of unwanted hair. If that doesn’t work (and even if it does) I’ve got fiber animals out in the barn without the same hair-donating ambitions that I have, likely just glad to be rid of their locks as the warm weather approaches.

Locks of Love, you can have the 10 inches. Matter of Trust, you get everything else. If you have hair, fur or wool to donate, visit the Matter of Trust website.