We’ve all been there girls.
Searching around for a hair clip, checking down the sides of sofas, the back of dressers, the bottom of bags.
Do they have a life of their own and escape to a hair grip community somewhere? Or do they silently self-combust? I guess we’ll never know…but they MUST end up somewhere, surely.
And they do…Recent research from Business Waste has revealed that 98% of the tens of millions of hair grips we buy end up in landfill each year! In the same study, they also shed some light on where you’re most likely to find them in your house, including under the bed, down the side of sofa, on the bathroom floor and in your draws – so that’s where to look first!
The way they disappear is infuriating, but what’s worse is that these little bits of metal aren’t recyclable.
The same research also revealed that the average hair grip lasts just 2 weeks before it is lost or broken. Mark Hall, the director of Business Waste, says: “Because we know how frequently they’re discarded, it’s only right that they should be made from recycled materials, otherwise we’re just wasting resources on something that is effectively disposable.”
And we completely agree!
Hair grips could quite easily be made of a more sustainable material, such as bamboo, but as yet nothing is being done to make the change. So let’s call on beauty manufacturers to do the right thing.
We could do this simply by going to our local drugstore and asking if they have any recyclable hair grips in stock. Or you could use social media to make your voice a little louder.
The purchasing power is in your hands, and if together we are asking for a product that doesn’t yet exist, it might not be long before they create it.
In the meantime, let’s take better care of our hair grips! Why not use an old jam jar to store yours, which will not only help to not misplace them but make them easier to find when you’re trying to do your hair in the morning!