recontextualizing human hair waste as potential raw material for design
Briefly

recontextualizing human hair waste as potential raw material for design
"This research-based design project by Laura Oliveira investigates discarded as a potential raw material for sustainable design applications. Human hair is produced continuously and in large quantities through everyday grooming practices, yet it is almost always treated as waste once separated from the body and typically disposed of in landfills. Despite its material properties, strength, flexibility, and durability as a keratin-based protein fiber, its remains uncommon within design and research contexts."
"Material development focused on hands-on testing through a combination of traditional textile techniques and bio-based fabrication methods. Felting and fiber blending were employed to explore hair as a non-woven material, both independently and in combination with wool. These processes resulted in dense yet lightweight surfaces with varying tactile and visual characteristics. In parallel, human hair was tested as a reinforcing fiber within bio-based matrices, using natural binders such as resins and glycerin."
Human hair is produced continuously and in large quantities through everyday grooming and is typically discarded to landfills despite its strength, flexibility, and durability as a keratin-based fiber. Materials were collected from local professional salons with informed consent and cleaned, then sorted by length, color, and texture to enable controlled experimentation. Felting and fiber blending created non-woven surfaces both alone and blended with wool, yielding dense yet lightweight tactile and visual samples. Hair was also incorporated as reinforcing fiber within bio-based matrices using natural binders like resins and glycerin through controlled heating, mixing, and molding. Experimental samples demonstrate technical and aesthetic potential while addressing circular material use and ethical sourcing.
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