Zoku Salon Collects Clippings to Help Gulf Oil Spill

Roughly 1,500 miles away from Summit, oil continues to spill into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Government officials, environmental organizations, coastal residents, and businessmen are all contributing their knowledge and efforts in an attempt to bring relief to the contaminated region.

Now, thanks to Zoku Salon, local residents can also aid those efforts without leaving the city of Summit.

They simply need to get their hair cut.

 "All the hair we cut, whether ½ an inch or 6 inches, we donate to Matter of Trust," explained the salon's receptionist Elizabeth Hamill.

Matter of Trust is a nonprofit organization based out of San Francisco which collects human hair, animal fur, fleece, and wool to create hair booms and mats which serve to naturally soak up oil.

"We shampoo because hair collects oil. Why should millions of pounds of absorbent, natural, renewable hair, fur, fleece clippings go to waste every day?" reads the homepage of the organization's Web site.

At Matter of Trust, which has almost 20 volunteer centers along the southern coast, the collected hair clippings are stuffed into recycled nylon tubes and covered in mesh to make booms, which can then be tied together to contain an oil spill.

Hair fibers are also woven into thick mats which prevent water evaporation and infestation while absorbing the petroleum from a leak.

"You hear so much about how much (oil) is coming out, but not so much about clean-up efforts," said Zoku Salon owner Zoë Cortez-Staricco. "It's such a huge problem we've been having, and we just wanted to give back and invest in our own for once."

For almost two weeks, all of the hair clippings collected from Zoku's salon floor have been faithfully gathered in preparation for mailing to Matter of Trust volunteer centers in the Gulf region to aid their relief efforts.

According to Cortez-Staricco, the salon has already stuffed three large garbage bags to date.

A neighboring Summit business is also playing a part in the donation process. The Fed Ex Office next door to Zoku has partnered with the salon to take care of their shipping needs as they send the hair materials to the county's southern coast.

Zoku's clients are in full support of its endeavor to make a difference.

"Whatever little thing people can do to help—it's such a tragedy! I think that what (Zoku) is doing is tremendous," said Summit resident and salon client Kristen Ramsey.

Ronnie Hotz of Short Hills said, "It's great. I'm more than happy to help."

Zoku's patrons can catch a glimpse of how their contributions are adding up when they pass by the collection basket toward the back of the hair salon.

"It's just so devastating. The hair can only help so much. We need a lot of people to team up and help," said owner Christine Ku.

Although it's uncertain as to how long the salon will be collecting clippings, receptionist Hamill said, "There are no plans of stopping any time soon!"