Composting hair clippings at my shop - any practical advice?

I've been trying to make my barbershop more eco-friendly, and I'm stuck on what to do with all the hair we cut off. I heard that hair can be composted because it breaks down and adds nutrients. But in practice, collecting it without getting bits of plastic or other trash mixed in seems tough. Also, I worry about smells or if clients will think it's odd. Has anyone here actually set up a composting system for their clippings? What kind of bins or methods did you use to keep it clean? I'd really appreciate hearing from folks who've tried this or have other green ideas for waste.

2 comments

2 Comments

the_eva19h ago

Actually, hair adds very few nutrients as it breaks down.

mary_patel5915h ago

That's not totally right though @the_eva. Hair is mostly keratin which is a protein, so it does add nitrogen back into the soil as it breaks down, just super slowly. The real benefit is for soil structure, helping it hold water better. It's more of a long-term helper than a quick fertilizer. If you do add it, cutting it up short first helps a ton.