If you have a garden, it can be easier to move towards a zero waste lifestyle – one of the great ways to go greener. One of the ways that it can do so, of course, is by growing at least some of your own food. Growing food in your garden makes it easier to avoid plastic packaging that comes with a lot of supermarket produce. It also makes it easier to create compost, using fruit and vegetable scraps and other organic matter. The more you delve into zero waste living, the more you realise how much that is usually considered waste we can reuse in our gardens.
One thing that sometimes stumps those trying to move to a zero waste lifestyle is what to do with cut or brushed out hair. The good news is that this too is something that you can use to improve your garden. Here are some things you could do with human hair in your outside space:
Add it to Your Compost Heap
Human hair takes a while to break down. But as long as it is un-dyed and untreated, you can still add it is small quantities to add nutrients to your home made compost. If you have long hair, however, it is generally best to chop it up into small pieces before you add it to the heap.
Gift it to the Birds
Another good way to get rid of hair from your hairbrush is simply to leave it out in your garden for the birds to take away. Many different birds will take your hair and use it to build their nests. So, you will be getting rid of waste and helping the wildlife at the same time – win win. You might say it was killing two birds with one stone – but that seems like a rather unfortunate metaphor in the circumstances!
Use it as a Mulch
Human hair can also be used as a mulch around plants. Before breaking down, the hair will help to retain moisture and suppress weeds. Human hair mulch will also help to insulate plant roots from a late or early frost. Human hair has also been turned into a matting for use around crops.
Deter Flighty Deer (And Some Other Pests)
Deer that have not become used to human activity may steer clear of your garden if you place a boundary of human hair around the perimeter of your property. Unfortunately, this will not work where deer have become too tame around humans. Placing hair around plants may also help a little in deterring slugs and snails, and certain other pests – though as with most such solutions, it is far from foolproof.
Get Creative
Finally, while it may seem rather odd to our modern sensibilities, clean human hair can also be used stuffing, making strong twine, or for other arts and crafts projects for your garden. The Victorians thought nothing of using hair in artistic and creative ways,so maybe we should consider taking a leaf from their book.