Environmental disasters – from the Gulf Coast spill in the United States to the Bhopal disaster’s long-awaited trials in India – have been all over the news in recent months. Handling response efforts is an overwhelming task, and many of the best minds have been searching for innovative new solutions to mitigate future problems. This week, Beyond Profit brings you five social enterprises looking for creative ways to clean up.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Social Enterprise of the Day – Matter of Trust
U.S.; Non-Profit
Those who shampoo know – hair clings to oil. Hair stylist-turned-inventor Phil McCrory realized hair follicles could be used to clean up oil spills the way they collect natural oils. With this idea, non-profit Matter of Trust started soliciting donations in 2000 from the 370,000 U.S. salons, to create “hair booms” from collected clippings (currently, salon owners sweep up roughly one pound of hair clippings a day). But with the April Gulf disaster, the organization mobilized their efforts, and now has 19 warehouses receiving donations. They’ve received over 20,000 pounds of donations, out of which they’ve made thousands of booms totaling 10 miles in length. B.P. hasn’t yet agreed to deploy the booms in the Gulf. Matter of Trust was created in 1998 by Lisa and Patrice Gautier, with a mission is to “link ideas, spark action and materialize sustainable systems.” Matter of Trust looks to use discarded or extra materials – like otherwise thrown-out hair – for productive, social purposes.
