Latest news with #Frasca
The Advertiser
26-05-2025
- General
- The Advertiser
Recycled hair? What happens to your off-cuts after a visit to the hairdresser
What happens to the hair the hairdresser cuts off your head? And why would it end up in any other place but the bin? Over the past 10 years, Sustainable Salons has collected more than 100,000kg of human and pet hair from salons across Australia and New Zealand to create sustainable products. "Hair hasn't always been a waste material," Sustainable Salons founder Paul Frasca said. "For example, some of the things we found in history books were that hair is really good in soil, but there was no data. It also says that hair is really good to put in building materials. And like, great, but there's no data, because these things were done 500 years ago." While many are familiar with people donating their ponytails for the creation of wigs - and Sustainable Salons has had more than 285,000 donated for just that - there are other options regular hair cuts can be used for. It all started with hair booms - large hair sausages, made out of the collected clippings encased in nylon - that are deployed to soak up oil spills in the ocean, or deployed in waterways to clean up oil for local councils. "We read a story about how hair was used to clean up an oil spill in America about 30 years ago. We're like, that's interesting, but we contacted them and they had no data, so we had to ask, 'Does it actually work?," Mr Frasca said. "So we started collecting amounts of hair, and we contacted UTS in Sydney, and we said, 'There is this idea about cleaning up oil spills, and we just want to investigate it a bit more.' And we had a student, Rebecca, who then took on the subject, and we started studying it. And funnily enough, it turned out hair is a great absorber of oil, so that's how it all started." From there, Sustainable Salons entered the world of gardening, where hair was also used to create a soil treatment called Soilz Alive. When hair breaks down, it delivers an organic and dynamic dose of keratin, which conditions and renews the soil. Sustainable Salons is also about to enter the construction industry, producing hair-based bricks, and also releasing a world-first technology. "We found out - and this took about four years of [research and development] is how to turn hair into graphite," Mr Frasca said. "Graphite can be a part of the conductor system for OLED displays, solar panels and batteries. "It's fantastic research that we did, and we're actually looking at doing the first product next year, maybe a battery or something that charges your phone." Hair is just one thing Sustainable Salons collects. The hairdressers and pet groomers that sign up for the program get six different recycling bins to collect plastics, metals such as aluminium foil and colour tubes, excess chemicals and old hair equipment such as hairdryers. Without this program, about 90 per cent of items used within hairdressers would not be recycled, as it is considered chemically contaminated. For all of these collection programs, it's not just a matter of disposing of them correctly, it's about creating circularity. So in the case of the excess chemicals, primarily hydrogen peroxide, it's processed to be turned into water and oxygen. And the old equipment is broken down into pieces, the e-waste is recycled, and the plastic parts, which are heat-resistant, are turned into things such as combs. "The plastics actually get complicated because they're heat resistant and they usually have layers on them, so they're not easy, and we've got to find different brokers for them," Mr Frasca said. "How it works in the recycling world, the way I best put it is, we're above ground miners and commodities change daily. So plastic could have a value to it, and the next day it's actually a cost. So you're trying to constantly balance out when is the right time to actually sell your materials." There are more than 1500 salon businesses part of the Sustainable Salons across Australia, including 36 in the Canberra region, which have helped divert more than 244,000kg of materials to landfill. One such company is Pura Holistic Hair, which has salons in Narrabundah and Gold Creek. Having worked previously in salons that had been part of the Sustainable Salon program, Pura Holistic Hair owner Blair Lewis knew that she wanted to implement it in her own hairdresser when she opened a few years ago. "Hairdressing has a huge carbon footprint and huge toxic load, as you can imagine," Ms Lewis said. "So from the chemicals from different services, whether it be colour, perming, straightening, sprays, all of those things, plus the things they're packaged in, and then the foils that we use on the hair. There are so many different things. "If you think about how much stuff we use in a space, and beyond, when clients are taking products home, we have the option to either make a huge impact, positively on the environment or not." But for Ms Lewis, Sustainable Salons is just the beginning. All of the products they use and sell are sourced from biodynamic farms, sold in amber glass bottles with aluminium lids that have been recycled from other products. They also have a worm farm on site where they compost their tea leaves that are offered to clients to take home, using any empty glass bottles leftover from the hair products used. "If we can think about it beyond, 'We can put it in these bins,' that's awesome," Ms Lewis said. "Sustainable Salons do amazing things, but also, how can we reduce going in there in the first place? So I think because we do have the ability to make a real positive change in the environment, I think it's actually super important." What happens to the hair the hairdresser cuts off your head? And why would it end up in any other place but the bin? Over the past 10 years, Sustainable Salons has collected more than 100,000kg of human and pet hair from salons across Australia and New Zealand to create sustainable products. "Hair hasn't always been a waste material," Sustainable Salons founder Paul Frasca said. "For example, some of the things we found in history books were that hair is really good in soil, but there was no data. It also says that hair is really good to put in building materials. And like, great, but there's no data, because these things were done 500 years ago." While many are familiar with people donating their ponytails for the creation of wigs - and Sustainable Salons has had more than 285,000 donated for just that - there are other options regular hair cuts can be used for. It all started with hair booms - large hair sausages, made out of the collected clippings encased in nylon - that are deployed to soak up oil spills in the ocean, or deployed in waterways to clean up oil for local councils. "We read a story about how hair was used to clean up an oil spill in America about 30 years ago. We're like, that's interesting, but we contacted them and they had no data, so we had to ask, 'Does it actually work?," Mr Frasca said. "So we started collecting amounts of hair, and we contacted UTS in Sydney, and we said, 'There is this idea about cleaning up oil spills, and we just want to investigate it a bit more.' And we had a student, Rebecca, who then took on the subject, and we started studying it. And funnily enough, it turned out hair is a great absorber of oil, so that's how it all started." From there, Sustainable Salons entered the world of gardening, where hair was also used to create a soil treatment called Soilz Alive. When hair breaks down, it delivers an organic and dynamic dose of keratin, which conditions and renews the soil. Sustainable Salons is also about to enter the construction industry, producing hair-based bricks, and also releasing a world-first technology. "We found out - and this took about four years of [research and development] is how to turn hair into graphite," Mr Frasca said. "Graphite can be a part of the conductor system for OLED displays, solar panels and batteries. "It's fantastic research that we did, and we're actually looking at doing the first product next year, maybe a battery or something that charges your phone." Hair is just one thing Sustainable Salons collects. The hairdressers and pet groomers that sign up for the program get six different recycling bins to collect plastics, metals such as aluminium foil and colour tubes, excess chemicals and old hair equipment such as hairdryers. Without this program, about 90 per cent of items used within hairdressers would not be recycled, as it is considered chemically contaminated. For all of these collection programs, it's not just a matter of disposing of them correctly, it's about creating circularity. So in the case of the excess chemicals, primarily hydrogen peroxide, it's processed to be turned into water and oxygen. And the old equipment is broken down into pieces, the e-waste is recycled, and the plastic parts, which are heat-resistant, are turned into things such as combs. "The plastics actually get complicated because they're heat resistant and they usually have layers on them, so they're not easy, and we've got to find different brokers for them," Mr Frasca said. "How it works in the recycling world, the way I best put it is, we're above ground miners and commodities change daily. So plastic could have a value to it, and the next day it's actually a cost. So you're trying to constantly balance out when is the right time to actually sell your materials." There are more than 1500 salon businesses part of the Sustainable Salons across Australia, including 36 in the Canberra region, which have helped divert more than 244,000kg of materials to landfill. One such company is Pura Holistic Hair, which has salons in Narrabundah and Gold Creek. Having worked previously in salons that had been part of the Sustainable Salon program, Pura Holistic Hair owner Blair Lewis knew that she wanted to implement it in her own hairdresser when she opened a few years ago. "Hairdressing has a huge carbon footprint and huge toxic load, as you can imagine," Ms Lewis said. "So from the chemicals from different services, whether it be colour, perming, straightening, sprays, all of those things, plus the things they're packaged in, and then the foils that we use on the hair. There are so many different things. "If you think about how much stuff we use in a space, and beyond, when clients are taking products home, we have the option to either make a huge impact, positively on the environment or not." But for Ms Lewis, Sustainable Salons is just the beginning. All of the products they use and sell are sourced from biodynamic farms, sold in amber glass bottles with aluminium lids that have been recycled from other products. They also have a worm farm on site where they compost their tea leaves that are offered to clients to take home, using any empty glass bottles leftover from the hair products used. "If we can think about it beyond, 'We can put it in these bins,' that's awesome," Ms Lewis said. "Sustainable Salons do amazing things, but also, how can we reduce going in there in the first place? So I think because we do have the ability to make a real positive change in the environment, I think it's actually super important." What happens to the hair the hairdresser cuts off your head? And why would it end up in any other place but the bin? Over the past 10 years, Sustainable Salons has collected more than 100,000kg of human and pet hair from salons across Australia and New Zealand to create sustainable products. "Hair hasn't always been a waste material," Sustainable Salons founder Paul Frasca said. "For example, some of the things we found in history books were that hair is really good in soil, but there was no data. It also says that hair is really good to put in building materials. And like, great, but there's no data, because these things were done 500 years ago." While many are familiar with people donating their ponytails for the creation of wigs - and Sustainable Salons has had more than 285,000 donated for just that - there are other options regular hair cuts can be used for. It all started with hair booms - large hair sausages, made out of the collected clippings encased in nylon - that are deployed to soak up oil spills in the ocean, or deployed in waterways to clean up oil for local councils. "We read a story about how hair was used to clean up an oil spill in America about 30 years ago. We're like, that's interesting, but we contacted them and they had no data, so we had to ask, 'Does it actually work?," Mr Frasca said. "So we started collecting amounts of hair, and we contacted UTS in Sydney, and we said, 'There is this idea about cleaning up oil spills, and we just want to investigate it a bit more.' And we had a student, Rebecca, who then took on the subject, and we started studying it. And funnily enough, it turned out hair is a great absorber of oil, so that's how it all started." From there, Sustainable Salons entered the world of gardening, where hair was also used to create a soil treatment called Soilz Alive. When hair breaks down, it delivers an organic and dynamic dose of keratin, which conditions and renews the soil. Sustainable Salons is also about to enter the construction industry, producing hair-based bricks, and also releasing a world-first technology. "We found out - and this took about four years of [research and development] is how to turn hair into graphite," Mr Frasca said. "Graphite can be a part of the conductor system for OLED displays, solar panels and batteries. "It's fantastic research that we did, and we're actually looking at doing the first product next year, maybe a battery or something that charges your phone." Hair is just one thing Sustainable Salons collects. The hairdressers and pet groomers that sign up for the program get six different recycling bins to collect plastics, metals such as aluminium foil and colour tubes, excess chemicals and old hair equipment such as hairdryers. Without this program, about 90 per cent of items used within hairdressers would not be recycled, as it is considered chemically contaminated. For all of these collection programs, it's not just a matter of disposing of them correctly, it's about creating circularity. So in the case of the excess chemicals, primarily hydrogen peroxide, it's processed to be turned into water and oxygen. And the old equipment is broken down into pieces, the e-waste is recycled, and the plastic parts, which are heat-resistant, are turned into things such as combs. "The plastics actually get complicated because they're heat resistant and they usually have layers on them, so they're not easy, and we've got to find different brokers for them," Mr Frasca said. "How it works in the recycling world, the way I best put it is, we're above ground miners and commodities change daily. So plastic could have a value to it, and the next day it's actually a cost. So you're trying to constantly balance out when is the right time to actually sell your materials." There are more than 1500 salon businesses part of the Sustainable Salons across Australia, including 36 in the Canberra region, which have helped divert more than 244,000kg of materials to landfill. One such company is Pura Holistic Hair, which has salons in Narrabundah and Gold Creek. Having worked previously in salons that had been part of the Sustainable Salon program, Pura Holistic Hair owner Blair Lewis knew that she wanted to implement it in her own hairdresser when she opened a few years ago. "Hairdressing has a huge carbon footprint and huge toxic load, as you can imagine," Ms Lewis said. "So from the chemicals from different services, whether it be colour, perming, straightening, sprays, all of those things, plus the things they're packaged in, and then the foils that we use on the hair. There are so many different things. "If you think about how much stuff we use in a space, and beyond, when clients are taking products home, we have the option to either make a huge impact, positively on the environment or not." But for Ms Lewis, Sustainable Salons is just the beginning. All of the products they use and sell are sourced from biodynamic farms, sold in amber glass bottles with aluminium lids that have been recycled from other products. They also have a worm farm on site where they compost their tea leaves that are offered to clients to take home, using any empty glass bottles leftover from the hair products used. "If we can think about it beyond, 'We can put it in these bins,' that's awesome," Ms Lewis said. "Sustainable Salons do amazing things, but also, how can we reduce going in there in the first place? So I think because we do have the ability to make a real positive change in the environment, I think it's actually super important." What happens to the hair the hairdresser cuts off your head? And why would it end up in any other place but the bin? Over the past 10 years, Sustainable Salons has collected more than 100,000kg of human and pet hair from salons across Australia and New Zealand to create sustainable products. "Hair hasn't always been a waste material," Sustainable Salons founder Paul Frasca said. "For example, some of the things we found in history books were that hair is really good in soil, but there was no data. It also says that hair is really good to put in building materials. And like, great, but there's no data, because these things were done 500 years ago." While many are familiar with people donating their ponytails for the creation of wigs - and Sustainable Salons has had more than 285,000 donated for just that - there are other options regular hair cuts can be used for. It all started with hair booms - large hair sausages, made out of the collected clippings encased in nylon - that are deployed to soak up oil spills in the ocean, or deployed in waterways to clean up oil for local councils. "We read a story about how hair was used to clean up an oil spill in America about 30 years ago. We're like, that's interesting, but we contacted them and they had no data, so we had to ask, 'Does it actually work?," Mr Frasca said. "So we started collecting amounts of hair, and we contacted UTS in Sydney, and we said, 'There is this idea about cleaning up oil spills, and we just want to investigate it a bit more.' And we had a student, Rebecca, who then took on the subject, and we started studying it. And funnily enough, it turned out hair is a great absorber of oil, so that's how it all started." From there, Sustainable Salons entered the world of gardening, where hair was also used to create a soil treatment called Soilz Alive. When hair breaks down, it delivers an organic and dynamic dose of keratin, which conditions and renews the soil. Sustainable Salons is also about to enter the construction industry, producing hair-based bricks, and also releasing a world-first technology. "We found out - and this took about four years of [research and development] is how to turn hair into graphite," Mr Frasca said. "Graphite can be a part of the conductor system for OLED displays, solar panels and batteries. "It's fantastic research that we did, and we're actually looking at doing the first product next year, maybe a battery or something that charges your phone." Hair is just one thing Sustainable Salons collects. The hairdressers and pet groomers that sign up for the program get six different recycling bins to collect plastics, metals such as aluminium foil and colour tubes, excess chemicals and old hair equipment such as hairdryers. Without this program, about 90 per cent of items used within hairdressers would not be recycled, as it is considered chemically contaminated. For all of these collection programs, it's not just a matter of disposing of them correctly, it's about creating circularity. So in the case of the excess chemicals, primarily hydrogen peroxide, it's processed to be turned into water and oxygen. And the old equipment is broken down into pieces, the e-waste is recycled, and the plastic parts, which are heat-resistant, are turned into things such as combs. "The plastics actually get complicated because they're heat resistant and they usually have layers on them, so they're not easy, and we've got to find different brokers for them," Mr Frasca said. "How it works in the recycling world, the way I best put it is, we're above ground miners and commodities change daily. So plastic could have a value to it, and the next day it's actually a cost. So you're trying to constantly balance out when is the right time to actually sell your materials." There are more than 1500 salon businesses part of the Sustainable Salons across Australia, including 36 in the Canberra region, which have helped divert more than 244,000kg of materials to landfill. One such company is Pura Holistic Hair, which has salons in Narrabundah and Gold Creek. Having worked previously in salons that had been part of the Sustainable Salon program, Pura Holistic Hair owner Blair Lewis knew that she wanted to implement it in her own hairdresser when she opened a few years ago. "Hairdressing has a huge carbon footprint and huge toxic load, as you can imagine," Ms Lewis said. "So from the chemicals from different services, whether it be colour, perming, straightening, sprays, all of those things, plus the things they're packaged in, and then the foils that we use on the hair. There are so many different things. "If you think about how much stuff we use in a space, and beyond, when clients are taking products home, we have the option to either make a huge impact, positively on the environment or not." But for Ms Lewis, Sustainable Salons is just the beginning. All of the products they use and sell are sourced from biodynamic farms, sold in amber glass bottles with aluminium lids that have been recycled from other products. They also have a worm farm on site where they compost their tea leaves that are offered to clients to take home, using any empty glass bottles leftover from the hair products used. "If we can think about it beyond, 'We can put it in these bins,' that's awesome," Ms Lewis said. "Sustainable Salons do amazing things, but also, how can we reduce going in there in the first place? So I think because we do have the ability to make a real positive change in the environment, I think it's actually super important."
Forbes
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Curt Frasca - From Producing Hit Records To Producing Barbera
Curt Frasca in his estate vineyards Barbera d'Asti is a curious wine, one that has appealing blackberry and black plum flavors with zippy acidity, but only moderate tannins. This flavor profile has made it popular with many consumers looking for a red wine with excellent character that you don't have to wait for several years before you drink it. Now Barbera doesn't have the glitzy identity that other reds from the Piedmont region, such as Barolo and Barbaresco have, wines that are produced from the Nebbiolo grape, with the best examples capable of aging for 20-30 years and even longer, but when you want to enjoy a medium-bodied red that works with so many foods, from barbecued ribs to pastas with tomato sauce to roast pork or chicken, Barbera d'Asti works beautifully. Curt Frasca produces several types of Barbera d'Asti, and is betting that consumers will turn to Barbera more often these days. I, for one wouldn't argue with him, especially based on his prior success. A native Long Islander, Frasca moved to New York City proper in his teens, and admits he was always fascinated by lights and buttons; this came from seeing the work of his father, who was employed by Grumman Aircraft Corporation, a company that NASA worked with for their space program. 'I always liked music, and somehow I found myself into recording on Long Island when I was very young - 12 or 13 - and that's how it started for me,' he remarks. Fracsa notes that this small studio on Long Island was the center for, the emergence of Hip Hop. 'I got the opportunity with Queen Latifah and 3rd Bass … it was the birth of sampling.' He then worked with De La Soul, whose popularity took off, as Frasca remembers. He then moved into the city at 16 or 17 years of age, and left school to become a mixer, and then a producer and songwriter. He followed that by starting a music publishing company; he enjoyed great success when he partnered with a private equity firm, basically buying copyrights and developing new artists. So how did he move from the recording business to owning a winery in Italy? 'After 20 years, I just walked away from the whole creative side of things.' He got into cooking, loved wine, and recalls that he just sort of dove into that interest. He started to travel to Europe and admits a fondness for Northern Italy. He immersed himself with Barolo and Barbaresco, but 'fell in love with Nizza and Monferrato.' (Monferrato is the territory in Asti province where Nizza, a more complex, richer and more distinctive version of Barbera d'Asti is produced). La Guaragna vineyard of Frasca Frasca currently produces various bottlings of Barbera d'Asti, including a charming, fruit-dominated version that I described as 'delicious," a term he approved of. His top two examples are both Nizza: one a blend of fruit from three communes, and the other labeled as Nizza La Veja; the latter is produced from the eponymous vineyard near Agliano Terme; the vines here are 90-plus-years old. There is also a very fine Grignolino and Freisa, as well as two whites: Riesling and a Monferrato Bianco, a blend of Arneis and Rhine Riesling. Frasca gives a lot of credit for his success at the winery to his winemaker Matteo Gerbi. Frasca recalls that his initial encounter was a chance meeting through acquaintances. 'We started talking, and I told him what I wanted to do. We saw the same thing; we really felt the same language, so it was cool … we met and it was meant to be.' Frasca remembers that Gerbi and he toured many vineyards, tasting everything they could; he also toured a barrel maker in Italy (Gamba) and even went to one company to see how the bottles were made. 'It was just a blank page, and it was from the soil up. That's sort of how it progressed, and how it continues.' Barbera vineyard in Agliano Terme used as a source for Frasca Barbera is the most widely planted red varietal in Piedmont, and for a long time, it's been considered an minor, everyday wine that perhaps is not anything special. Frasca however, sees things differently. 'It (the identity of Barbera) is changing because of Nizza. You know we're seeing it here at restaurants, and consumers are excited about Nizza; they're excited about the expression." What does Frasca have to say to consumers about Barbera? 'For me, what I like is the acid, but also when it's well balanced, it's a wine that goes well with a lot of different foods. One of the things I was fascinated by is its ageablity. When it's done right, the wines can age, and that was something we really focused on. You know we're still young - our first vintage was 2019.' Frasca is off to an impressive start; he has an excellent importer in New York City, as well as in Sweden and Japan, where sales are strong. But given his accomplishments in the music industry, would you expect anything less than notable success from him? Notes on current releases of Frasca wines: Monferrato Bianco 'Sèj' 2023 (Monferrato Bianco DOC) - A blend of 85% Arneis, 15% Rhine Riesling, aged in steel. Aromas of pear jelly, green apples and a hint of musk oil. Medium-bodied, with very good acidity, this offers very good freshness, and is cleanly made and quite tasty. Pair with lighter Oriental cuisine and enjoy over the next 2-3 years. (90) Freisa d'Asti 2023 (DOC) - 100% Freisa from grapes grown in the commune of Moasca; the vines average 20 years of age. There are 30% whole bunches; maturation for four months in large oak barrels. Bright, deep garnet with purple tints; aromas of cranberry, red plum, myrtle and violet. Medium-bodied, this is a fresh, easy drinking red, with very good acidity and moderate tannins that sneak up on you in the finish. Pair with tomato-based soups or lighter preparations of pork or chicken and enjoy over the next 3-5 years. (91) Barbera d'Asti 2021 (DOCG) - Aromas of blackberry, clove and lavender. Medium-bodied, with excellent ripeness, very good depth of fruit, lively acidity and moderate tannins. There is notable complexity and excellent typicity, along with very good persistence; the finish displays appealing notes of nutmeg and oregano. Very well made, this is delicious and is fine example of classic Barbera d'Asti. Enjoy over the next 3-5 years. (92) Nizza 2021 (DOCG) - 100% Barbera from the communes of Nizza Monferrato, Agliano Terme and Moasca; the average of the vines is 30 years; matured for six months in large oak barrels. Bright ruby red/light purple; aromas of plum, myrtle, juniper, fennel, anise and lavender. Medium-full tannins that are round and well-integrated. Impressive typicity and complexity. Enjoy over the next 2-4 years. (92) Nizza La Veja 2020 (DOCG) - From a single vineyard in Agliano Terme; the vines are 90 plus-years old; matured for six months in an old large oak barrel. Medium deep ruby red; aromas of black plum, blackberry, myrtle and black pansy. Medium-full, there is good acidity, moderate tannins and good persistence, along with very fine typicity. This needs time in the glass to open up and also a year or two to display its best qualities. Peak in 4-5 years. (90)
