Local Businesses Join Oil Cleanup In The Gulf

Lori Gotschall had no idea  a trip to the salon could help crews battling the giant oil spill in the Gulf.

But Gotschall gets her hair done at Bliss Salon in Marblehead, which is donating more than 100 pounds of cut hair to the cleanup.

Bliss is one of thousands of salons nationwide sending their cut hair to Louisiana. The hair is made into booms to protect the coast from seeping oil. The latest estimates put the spill at 18 to 40 million gallons.

 "It makes me feel good to know that the hair is being used for such a good reason," Gotschall said from her salon chair.

Bliss has already donated 80 pounds of hair and plans to send another 50 pounds very soon. 

"I wish they didn't need it, but they do," said Richard Cutting, who owns Bliss with his wife Kim.  "People love knowing that their cut hair is going for a good cause."

 And there is plenty of hair to go around, Bliss cuts about five pounds of hair each week.

The salon is working with the environmental charity Matter of Trust, which packs all that hair into booms and absorbent mats.  The ridged texture that helps hair absorb natural skin oils also makes it good for mopping up crude, says Matter of Trust co-founder Lisa Craig Gautier.

This isn't the first time Bliss, which opened in 2001, has gotten involved in disaster relief. The salon raised more than $9,000 for the victims of Haiti's earthquake earlier this year.

The Cuttings also pride themselves on being eco-friendly, offering clients what they call a "Green Bar." They encourage customers to re-use their shampoo and conditioner bottles, bringing them back to the salon to be refilled at a discount at the Green Bar.

Another Marblehead business, Smith Marine, is also doing its part in the oil cleanup. It sent several boats and employees to help set up booms near the Alabama coastline.

If you know another Marblehead business involved in the Gulf cleanup, let us know. Contact us at http://marblehead.patch.com.