Matter of Trust will accept clean fur, wool, human hair, and nylons and use these resources to create effective oil mats. See: Hair Mats Information
I have a dog with a two layered coat and can brush out garbage bags full of fur from him. I've never known what to do with this hair, though I leave some on the ground for the birds and squirrels, this seems like a much more responsible option.
There's more on the story at the San Jose Merc News: Unusual weapon against oil spill: tons of hair and fur
Matter of Trust is collecting clippings from thousands of salons, barber shops, even pet groomers across the country, along with pantyhose and stockings — all to be used to help mop up the oil threatening wildlife and livelihoods in its path.
Hair booms (gobs of clean hair stuffed into panty hose) or hair mats (hair woven into 1-foot squares) can be dragged along the coast to sop up the oil, wrung out and used again.
Hair booms work because each strand has scales on it, and those scales attract oil molecules, said Ingrid Setzer, the Floridian leading the collection campaign. The oil sticks to the scales, Setzer said, and the water filters out.
