Human Material Loop
Useful information
- Team members
- Zsofia Kollar
- Country
- Netherlands
- Keywords
- textile innovation zero waste circular economy local production biodegradble high-performance textile
Short Description
Processing waste human hair from hair salons and developing high-performance textiles.
Detailed Description
What if we can source, design, and manufacture our products locally, without degrading any soil, using no pesticides, and polluting now water with a 100% biodegradable material that has a carbon footprint close to zero? It is no secret the textile industry is the second-largest polluter in today's world, that's why Human Material Loop was founded to create a textile revolution and to show that people are not above, but part of the ecosystem. There is an estimated 72 million kg of human hair waste is generated by hair salons every year just in Europe, which ends up in landfills. While human hair is the same keratin protein fiber as wool, it has not been seen as a material that can be integrated into our production system. We have developed a technology that enables us to spin waste human hair into yarn and develop high-performance textiles for various industries. Local waste material with a global system. Today's haircut, tomorrow's textile.
Project Details
- Does your design take social and cultural challenges and human wellbeing into consideration?
Human Material Loop strives to make an impact on lowering the waste stream of our cities, and create zero waste hair salons. Processing waste hair and integrating it to the textile industry would effect: the current demand for currently used materials (cotton, synthetic fibers, wool) and their negative consequences on our environment, and would push for local and accountable labour. Human Material Loop does not only lower the waste stream of our cities but due to the local production, the manufacturing processes can be closely monitored, products can be manufactured on demand instead of minimum amounts with oversea shipments. Production on demand means avoiding overproduction and creating dead stocks that end up in the landfills. A 100% recycled and biodegradable product can exchange synthetic fibers and avoid accumulation of landfills. Human Materials Loop promotes prosperity while protecting the planet. As a company we are steering our business activities to contribute to several SDGs, effectively using business as a force for good.
Human Material Loop upcycles our waste, uses carbon neutral transport for its raw material and boosts local economies with local sourcing and local production. Integrating a biodegradable, natural fiber would reduce the CO2 and related greenhouse gases within the manufacturing and
discarding process within the textile industry.
- Does your design support sustainable production, embodying circular or regenerative design practices?
Everybody likes to get pretty by getting a new haircut. Human Material Loop makes it possible to benefit from our beauty obsessions. The left behind hair waste at hair salons is collected and processed for sustainable textile applications. Using locally produced materials has multiple advantages. It reduces the fossil fuels and associated pollutants including greenhouse gas emissions required for shipping. It supports local businesses and feeds money into the regional economy. Small-scale local production helps to eliminate the waste of unneeded products made to adhere to overseas minimums, reduce emissions and energy usage. Local production pushes for an accountable ethical production and labor, where the environmental impacts would directly affect the consumers thereby eyes cannot be closed on overseas factory pollutants and working conditions. Human hair itself is also an anti allergic material, manufacturing and using products from human hair would not affect the respiratory system of workers and consumers.
- Does your design promote awareness of responsible design and consumption?
Integrating the wide range of capabilities of human hair as a material will provide a high performance and long lasting product to the fashion industry. Human Material Loop offers a solution to create timeless products with durable material, therefore the discarded and incirinerated products would decrease. Sustainable fashion does not only mean to source and manufacture products by protecting the people and the planet but most importantly use the products for a longer period of time. Secondly the impact that Human Material Loop can create is the usage of raw materials within the industry.
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