Thierry Gras's idea for cleaning up the oceans

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Every year, the hairdressing industry generates tons of invisible organic waste that no one takes the time to notice. Yet, in France, cut hair accounts for nearly half of the waste produced in salons.

Thierry Gras, a master hairdresser based in Saint-Zacharie, in the Var region, chose to put an end to this absurdity simply by looking at his shop floor. The physical principle he relies on is incredibly effective: hair is naturally lipophilic, meaning it has a specific chemical affinity for absorbing hydrocarbons and fats. The idea for recycling took time to take shape, before suddenly crystallizing as he recalled a childhood image.

It was the sinking of the Amoco Cadiz, the oil tanker that ran aground off the coast of Brittany in 1978, seen on television. Fishermen, helpless against the oil spill, had the idea to add hair to their nets to absorb the hydrocarbons. To this day, the shipwreck is considered one of the worst ecological disasters in history, with 223,000 tons of crude oil spilled onto the Breton coast. This memory remained intact, waiting to cross paths with his own journey.

Turning this flash of insight into a concrete industry required shaking up a cautious sector. Officially launched in 2015, the association Coiffeurs Justes first had to face the skepticism of a profession accustomed to a disposable culture. The turning point came thanks to the virality of a filmed interview in Marseille, which sparked massive media interest, later relayed by reports from major outlets like Arte.

To solve the logistical puzzle of collecting from thousands of salons, the association teamed up with a major strategic partner: La Poste (the French postal service). In practical terms, for a modest annual fee of 25 euros and a flat rate per bag, each partner salon receives specific containers. It is the postmen themselves, during their daily rounds, who collect the 40-liter bags filled with hair clippings from around the corner.

The raw material is then transported to specialized facilities, such as the mission-driven company Ecofhair. There, the hair undergoes an industrial metamorphosis: it is transformed into absorbent booms to clean up polluted ports and waterways, converted into thermal and acoustic insulation panels for buildings, or stripped of its precious keratin to supply the cosmetic and medical industries, all while promoting the professional integration of employees with disabilities or those returning to the workforce.

In the United States, the association Matter of Trust has also been using hair to absorb hydrocarbons since the late 1990s, particularly during major oil spills like Deepwater Horizon in 2010.