Human Hair: A Water-Saving Tool in Drought-Hit Chile
The hair, which is turned into sheets and discs of compostable mulch through mechanical weaving, reduces direct evaporation by 71% and saves up to 48% of irrigation water, according to the Matter of Trust Chile foundation, which makes the hair mats.'Hair is very interesting. It contains nutrients, nitrogen, calcium, sulfur and organic matter that is added to the soil, improving it and enhancing plant growth and agricultural production by at least 30%,' said Mattia Carenini, CEO of the foundation.
Farmer Maria Salazar said the hair has helped get excellent crop yield from lemon trees in Taltal, about 900 kilometers north of the Chilean capital in the arid Antofagasta region.
'The hair mats are a benefit to the system and water stress we're facing,' Salazar said. 'By providing shade, they maintain a lot of humidity and prevent the sun's rays from evaporating the little water we have.'
The foundation was created in 2020 to promote conservation and regeneration through the creative use of waste. The hair is sourced from deals with 350 salons and 10 pet groomers around Chile, with about 2% of the hair used in the mats coming from pets.
Other products from the foundation include a liquid fertilizer made from recycled hair and a hair-based absorbent for recovering oils, metals and other contaminants from water.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Nikkei Asia
17 hours ago
- Nikkei Asia
At least 19 killed as Bangladesh air force plane crashes into college campus
DHAKA (Reuters) -- At least 19 people were killed as a Bangladesh air force training aircraft crashed into a college and school campus in the capital city of Dhaka on Monday, a fire services official said. More than 50 people, including children and adults, were hospitalized with burns, a doctor at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery told reporters. The incident occurred at the Milestone School and College in Dhaka's northern area of Uttara, officials said. "Bangladesh Air Force's F-7 BGI training aircraft crashed in Uttara. The aircraft took off at 13:06 (0706 GMT)," the military's public relations department said in a statement. Videos of the aftermath of the crash showed a big fire near a lawn emitting a thick plume of smoke into the sky, as crowds watched from a distance. Firefighters sprayed water on the mangled remains of the plane, which appeared to have rammed into the side of a building, damaging iron grills and creating a gaping hole in the structure, Reuters TV visuals showed. "A third-grade student was brought in dead, and three others, aged 12, 14 and 40, were admitted to the hospital," said Bidhan Sarker, head of the burn unit at the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, where some victims were taken. Visuals also showed people screaming and crying as others tried to comfort them. "When I was picking (up) my kids and went to the gate, I realized something came from behind...I heard an explosion. When I looked back, I only saw fire and smoke," said Masud Tarik, a teacher at the school. Muhammad Yunus, head of Bangladesh's interim government, said "necessary measures" would be taken to investigate the cause of the accident and "ensure all kinds of assistance". "The loss suffered by the Air parents, teachers and staff, and others in this accident is irreparable," he said. The incident comes a little over a month after an Air India plane crashed on top of a medical college hostel in neighboring India's Ahmedabad city, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 on the ground, marking the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade.
NHK
4 days ago
- NHK
More than 60 killed in fire at Iraq shopping mall
More than 60 people have been killed in a fire that tore through a shopping mall in eastern Iraq. The blaze broke out at the five-story building in the city of Kut on Wednesday night. Reuters news agency on Thursday cited local health authorities and other sources as saying that 69 people died and 11 others were missing. Footage shows the fire raging with the upper floors engulfed in orange flames. People are also seen gathering on the rooftop. Multiple Western media outlets say the commercial facility opened just one week ago. The AFP news agency cited a survivor as saying that a fire started from an air conditioner on the second floor and rapidly spread throughout the building. Iraq has experienced similar incidents in the past. In 2023, a fire swept through a wedding venue in the northern province of Nineveh, leaving more than 100 people dead.
Yomiuri Shimbun
5 days ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Human Hair: A Water-Saving Tool in Drought-Hit Chile
SANTIAGO (Reuters) — Small mats of human hair line the base of plants, helping lock in moisture for crops in orchards around Chile that have been struggling with drought for years. The hair, which is turned into sheets and discs of compostable mulch through mechanical weaving, reduces direct evaporation by 71% and saves up to 48% of irrigation water, according to the Matter of Trust Chile foundation, which makes the hair mats.'Hair is very interesting. It contains nutrients, nitrogen, calcium, sulfur and organic matter that is added to the soil, improving it and enhancing plant growth and agricultural production by at least 30%,' said Mattia Carenini, CEO of the foundation. Farmer Maria Salazar said the hair has helped get excellent crop yield from lemon trees in Taltal, about 900 kilometers north of the Chilean capital in the arid Antofagasta region. 'The hair mats are a benefit to the system and water stress we're facing,' Salazar said. 'By providing shade, they maintain a lot of humidity and prevent the sun's rays from evaporating the little water we have.' The foundation was created in 2020 to promote conservation and regeneration through the creative use of waste. The hair is sourced from deals with 350 salons and 10 pet groomers around Chile, with about 2% of the hair used in the mats coming from pets. Other products from the foundation include a liquid fertilizer made from recycled hair and a hair-based absorbent for recovering oils, metals and other contaminants from water.
