Environmental Problem Addressed
The specific environmental problem addressed in this case study was the possible environmental effects of the hair cutting wastes of the beauty salons at Grove, Los Baños, Laguna. Based on the average weight of hair cutting wastes produced every five days by the salons, possible equivocal effects to the environment were determined. This was done by the use of some insights provided by related literatures on the possible detrimental impacts of improper management of hair cutting wastes. Lastly, researches have also provided alternative uses of these wastes that in return, may reduce its accumulation and impact on the environment.
Significance of the Case Study
This case study aimed to have a hands-on inspection and research on the hair cutting wastes management of the different beauty salons at Grove, Los Baños, Laguna. At the end of this case study, the researchers expected to deduce some specific environmental effects of the accumulation and improper management of these wastes. This information would help us understand more the relevance of proper waste management in terms of our hair cuttings.
Moreover, by the information imparted by some related studies, the researchers formulated some simple hair cutting waste management practices that could be of big help for the salons and the environment itself.
Methods
The study started on February 4, 2012, Saturday. The researchers asked permission to 10 candidate beauty salons at Grove. Among these 10 salons, only four agreed to have their hair cutting wastes management exposed to the researchers and their hair cutting wastes weighed after five days. These salons were: F Salon, Grace Beauty Salon, Yolanda’s Salon and Dionne’s.
Two garbage bags were given to each salon on February 6, 2012, Monday. After five days, on February 11, 2012, Saturday, the researchers returned to the respective salons and collected the garbage bags. The bags were weighed and only one of each bags were filled. During this day, the researchers also conducted their interview to the salon employees regarding their hair cutting waste management practices. Moreover the researchers also researched on where the hair cuttings end up, particularly what dumpsite. Alongside with this they also interviewed barangay and municipal officials regarding the waste management in their locality.
After five days of hair cutting wastes collection, the following data were obtained. These data were extrapolated to the amount of waste produced per year.
The aforementioned extrapolation was done to further realize the annual amount of hair cutting waste produced per salon at Grove. Multiplying this average value to the number of salons in Grove – 10 salons, excluding barber shops – will give us 310 kilograms of hair cutting waste.
After the interview the researchers found out that the management of these wastes lies on the hands of the local garbage collectors. The salons just left their hair cutting wastes along with other solid wastes on the streets until the garbage collection time. The municipal government said that these wastes that they collect end up in a dumpsite in San Pedro, Laguna.
This case study researched on and inspected the hair cutting waste management of different beauty salons at Grove, Los Baños, Laguna. The researchers found out that the salons in the vicinity of Grove alone, excluding the barbershops, could produce large volume of hair cutting wastes amounting to 310 kilograms per year. They also found out that these salons have no definite and regular waste management practices and that they just left their wastes in the hands of the local government. The information gathered in this study, particularly the large amount of hair cutting waste produced annually, led the researchers to some related studies that would give an idea on the possible environmental effects of this waste accumulation.
Primarily, hair fibers are composed of 65-95% keratin. Keratin is a protein macromolecule, composed of mainly cysteine, a kind of amino acid rich in sulfur. Hair fibers also contain trace amounts of magnesium, arsenic, iron, chromium (‘Hair Biology’, keratin.com). Hair fibers are degraded only by the action of an alkali (basic solution). Vermicomposting – composting by the use of worms – of human hair fibers will take a year (‘Human Hair Vermicomposting’, bouldervermicomposting.com).
Hair fibers are very difficult to naturally decompose. Accumulation of these wastes in the environment may eventually lead to water and food contamination due to their metal content and nutrient accumulation due to its organic component. But there are alternative ways in which we can use these wastes as well as for the salons to look up to as a form of waste management. Here are the Top 10 Strange Uses for Human Hair courtesy of thebeautybrains.com (modifications are applied to some parts).
-- “Hair Biology”. keratin.com. Accessed Mar. 3, 2012. http://www.keratin.com/aa/aa012.shtml
-- “Human Hair Vermicomposting”. bouldervermicomposting.com. Accessed Mar. 3, 2012. http://www.bouldervermicomposting.com/2008/10/human-hair-vermicomposting-part-1/
-- “Top 10 Strange Uses for Human Hair”. thebeautybrains.com. Accessed Mar. 3, 2012. http://thebeautybrains.com/2007/12/30/top-10-strange-uses-for-human-hair/
The specific environmental problem addressed in this case study was the possible environmental effects of the hair cutting wastes of the beauty salons at Grove, Los Baños, Laguna. Based on the average weight of hair cutting wastes produced every five days by the salons, possible equivocal effects to the environment were determined. This was done by the use of some insights provided by related literatures on the possible detrimental impacts of improper management of hair cutting wastes. Lastly, researches have also provided alternative uses of these wastes that in return, may reduce its accumulation and impact on the environment.
Significance of the Case Study
This case study aimed to have a hands-on inspection and research on the hair cutting wastes management of the different beauty salons at Grove, Los Baños, Laguna. At the end of this case study, the researchers expected to deduce some specific environmental effects of the accumulation and improper management of these wastes. This information would help us understand more the relevance of proper waste management in terms of our hair cuttings.
Moreover, by the information imparted by some related studies, the researchers formulated some simple hair cutting waste management practices that could be of big help for the salons and the environment itself.
Methods
The study started on February 4, 2012, Saturday. The researchers asked permission to 10 candidate beauty salons at Grove. Among these 10 salons, only four agreed to have their hair cutting wastes management exposed to the researchers and their hair cutting wastes weighed after five days. These salons were: F Salon, Grace Beauty Salon, Yolanda’s Salon and Dionne’s.
Two garbage bags were given to each salon on February 6, 2012, Monday. After five days, on February 11, 2012, Saturday, the researchers returned to the respective salons and collected the garbage bags. The bags were weighed and only one of each bags were filled. During this day, the researchers also conducted their interview to the salon employees regarding their hair cutting waste management practices. Moreover the researchers also researched on where the hair cuttings end up, particularly what dumpsite. Alongside with this they also interviewed barangay and municipal officials regarding the waste management in their locality.
After five days of hair cutting wastes collection, the following data were obtained. These data were extrapolated to the amount of waste produced per year.
Table 1. Weight of the hair-cutting wastes of four
different salons at Grove, Los Baños and the
extrapolated weight of wastes produced per year.
Salon’s
Name
|
Weight
of Hair Cutting Wastes after 5 days (kg)
|
Extrapolated
Weight per year (kg)
|
|
F Salon
|
0.8
|
58.4
|
|
Grace Beauty Salon
|
0.3
|
21.9
|
|
Yolanda’s Salon
|
0.2
|
14.6
|
|
Dionne’s
|
0.4
|
29.2
|
|
Average
|
31.0
|
||
The aforementioned extrapolation was done to further realize the annual amount of hair cutting waste produced per salon at Grove. Multiplying this average value to the number of salons in Grove – 10 salons, excluding barber shops – will give us 310 kilograms of hair cutting waste.
After the interview the researchers found out that the management of these wastes lies on the hands of the local garbage collectors. The salons just left their hair cutting wastes along with other solid wastes on the streets until the garbage collection time. The municipal government said that these wastes that they collect end up in a dumpsite in San Pedro, Laguna.
This case study researched on and inspected the hair cutting waste management of different beauty salons at Grove, Los Baños, Laguna. The researchers found out that the salons in the vicinity of Grove alone, excluding the barbershops, could produce large volume of hair cutting wastes amounting to 310 kilograms per year. They also found out that these salons have no definite and regular waste management practices and that they just left their wastes in the hands of the local government. The information gathered in this study, particularly the large amount of hair cutting waste produced annually, led the researchers to some related studies that would give an idea on the possible environmental effects of this waste accumulation.
Primarily, hair fibers are composed of 65-95% keratin. Keratin is a protein macromolecule, composed of mainly cysteine, a kind of amino acid rich in sulfur. Hair fibers also contain trace amounts of magnesium, arsenic, iron, chromium (‘Hair Biology’, keratin.com). Hair fibers are degraded only by the action of an alkali (basic solution). Vermicomposting – composting by the use of worms – of human hair fibers will take a year (‘Human Hair Vermicomposting’, bouldervermicomposting.com).
Hair fibers are very difficult to naturally decompose. Accumulation of these wastes in the environment may eventually lead to water and food contamination due to their metal content and nutrient accumulation due to its organic component. But there are alternative ways in which we can use these wastes as well as for the salons to look up to as a form of waste management. Here are the Top 10 Strange Uses for Human Hair courtesy of thebeautybrains.com (modifications are applied to some parts).
Top 10 Strange Uses for Human Hair
1. Wig making. This one is pretty obvious but it helps thousands of people each year to cope with losing their hair. A human hair wig looks natural and is incredibly durable. Most donated hair goes into wig making.
2. Test tress making. When cosmetic chemists design hair products they need to test them on the real thing. Companies like the De Meo Brothers or International Hair Importers provide tresses, weaves and mannequin heads all made of human hair. And if you were wondering how much hair is worth, 1 oz cost $40.
3. Help people grow food. A company called SmartGrow uses imported human hair from China and India to make a gardening product. The hair is weaved into mats that help protect the plant’s roots from weather and insects.
4. Clean-up Oil Spills. Some years ago NASA was testing a technique to use human hair to clean up ocean oil spills. No word on whether this made it out of the prototype stage.
5. Make clothes. Some people have weaved hair into a fabric and made clothes. Style dash recently reported on a dress made this way. And this barber has even made a hair bikini.
6. Create furniture. When you spend all day cutting people’s hair you have the strangest ideas. Here is an ex-assistant hairdresser who managed to create a chair out of human hair. The fiber is spun into a material like fiberglass and forged into the shape of a chair.
7. Craft a work of art. It took 42,000 hair cuts, but artist Wenda Gu was able to create a giant banner using human hair. It was first displayed at Dartmouth College’s Baker-Berry Library.
8. Making soy sauce. As if you needed another reason to avoid things made in China. Here is a company that used human hair to make soy sauce. Since human hair is rich in protein, they were able to treat it, remove the amino acids, and pass it off as soybean oil.
9. Nesting material. Birds will use almost anything to make nests and human hair is no exception. This bird watching site even suggests putting out bags of hair clippings to help birds make nests. Here’s someone who uses hair clippings to provide a nest for their pet rat.
10. Crafting a rope. Native Americans were known to twist hair fibers together to make strong ropes. Eventually, they used horsehair but there are still people who practice the art.
References
1. Wig making. This one is pretty obvious but it helps thousands of people each year to cope with losing their hair. A human hair wig looks natural and is incredibly durable. Most donated hair goes into wig making.
2. Test tress making. When cosmetic chemists design hair products they need to test them on the real thing. Companies like the De Meo Brothers or International Hair Importers provide tresses, weaves and mannequin heads all made of human hair. And if you were wondering how much hair is worth, 1 oz cost $40.
3. Help people grow food. A company called SmartGrow uses imported human hair from China and India to make a gardening product. The hair is weaved into mats that help protect the plant’s roots from weather and insects.
4. Clean-up Oil Spills. Some years ago NASA was testing a technique to use human hair to clean up ocean oil spills. No word on whether this made it out of the prototype stage.
5. Make clothes. Some people have weaved hair into a fabric and made clothes. Style dash recently reported on a dress made this way. And this barber has even made a hair bikini.
6. Create furniture. When you spend all day cutting people’s hair you have the strangest ideas. Here is an ex-assistant hairdresser who managed to create a chair out of human hair. The fiber is spun into a material like fiberglass and forged into the shape of a chair.
7. Craft a work of art. It took 42,000 hair cuts, but artist Wenda Gu was able to create a giant banner using human hair. It was first displayed at Dartmouth College’s Baker-Berry Library.
8. Making soy sauce. As if you needed another reason to avoid things made in China. Here is a company that used human hair to make soy sauce. Since human hair is rich in protein, they were able to treat it, remove the amino acids, and pass it off as soybean oil.
9. Nesting material. Birds will use almost anything to make nests and human hair is no exception. This bird watching site even suggests putting out bags of hair clippings to help birds make nests. Here’s someone who uses hair clippings to provide a nest for their pet rat.
10. Crafting a rope. Native Americans were known to twist hair fibers together to make strong ropes. Eventually, they used horsehair but there are still people who practice the art.
References
-- “Hair Biology”. keratin.com. Accessed Mar. 3, 2012. http://www.keratin.com/aa/aa012.shtml
-- “Human Hair Vermicomposting”. bouldervermicomposting.com. Accessed Mar. 3, 2012. http://www.bouldervermicomposting.com/2008/10/human-hair-vermicomposting-part-1/
-- “Top 10 Strange Uses for Human Hair”. thebeautybrains.com. Accessed Mar. 3, 2012. http://thebeautybrains.com/2007/12/30/top-10-strange-uses-for-human-hair/
©MARCH 2012 ARAYAT PRODUCTIONS
