Dutch startup Human Material Loop is disrupting the fashion industry by transforming human hair into textiles. The company's founder, Zsofia Kollar, aims to provide an alternative material to reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry.
Human Material Loop is at the forefront of innovation in the fashion world, turning human hair into textiles. Zsofia Kollar, the founder of the company, has a deep interest in the potential of human hair. She stated, "People have very complex emotions about hair. We care about our hair, but once it's cut off, it becomes repulsive."
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Kollar decided to address the waste issue in the hair industry. She pointed out that hair salons in the United States and Canada generate 877 pounds of waste every minute, and when this waste decomposes without oxygen, it releases greenhouse gases contributing to climate change. According to Human Material Loop, 72 million kilograms of human hair waste end up in European landfills each year, equivalent to the weight of seven Eiffel Towers.
"This is a massive waste stream with no scalable solution at the moment," said Kollar. She added that most countries incinerate this waste, and many alternative solutions are neither environmentally friendly nor suitable for widespread use.
Human Material Loop transforms short hair into continuous yarn, which is then dyed using pure-colored pigments to turn the hair into textiles. The company's first prototype is a sweater with a texture similar to wool. "I needed to make a product that people could resonate with, and a sweater is one of the most feasible and relatable prototypes we can make," said Kollar.
In addition to sweaters, the company is testing other prototypes, including outdoor jackets filled with hair, providing insulation, and undergoing testing in the challenging conditions of Argentina's highest mountain, Aconcagua.
However, Human Material Loop's goal is not to sell these products directly but to provide this material to other designers and brands. Kollar stated that as production scales up, the material's price should be competitive with wool.
Although human hair has been used as textiles in many different cultures, using hair as a textile poses challenges. Dutch material researcher and designer Sanne Visser pointed out, "There is still a taboo around human hair as a material, and we don't really see it as a resource, especially after it's been cut off."
As part of the "Locally Grown" project at the London Design Museum, Visser collaborated with hairdressers, envisioning a future where hair becomes a valuable resource and introduced the concept of "hair farming." She also redesigned barber chairs to collect cut hair, saving time for hairdressers and recyclers.
Visser acknowledged that applying human hair to products is not simple, stating, "We need to do more work to make people accept it as a material." However, she added, "I can definitely see it entering our daily lives more over time."
The innovative initiative by Human Material Loop injects new sustainability concepts into the fashion industry by transforming human hair waste into valuable textiles. This initiative not only addresses environmental issues but also challenges traditional perceptions of hair, offering intriguing possibilities for the future development of fashion.
