KULAI: While most people would sweep away hair without a second thought, students at SM Pendidikan Khas Vokasional Indahpura are using it to give their compost an added boost.
Instead of throwing away hair from their hairdressing classes, they recycle it into compost to nourish plants in their school garden.
The students have long been making compost fertiliser using food waste from the canteen and hostels.
Since last year, they have also started collecting hair.
“Hairdressing is one of the many courses we have in our school.
“The students felt it was a waste to throw the hair away and suggested using it as one of the materials for compost,” said the school’s senior administrative assistant, Sulasteri Hairodin.
She said the compost – a mix of 70% food waste and 30% hair – has worked well in keeping the plants fresh.
“We didn’t really weigh the amount produced, but I believe it has exceeded 50kg,” she said.
Sulasteri said the project was one of several student initiatives to promote sustainability and environmentally-friendly practices.
“We encourage our students to use their creativity to explore and experiment with things around them, especially those that can help protect the environment,” she added.
Hair is a good source of nitrogen, a key nutrient for plant growth. The presence of hair in the compost pile helps it retain moisture and adds structure to the finished product.
As hair breaks down slowly in the compost pile to release the nutrients it contains, it can be considered a slow-release fertiliser that also improves soil structure.
While the fertiliser is used for the school’s own garden, some products made from the herbs grown there – such as bath bombs and herbal teas – are sold to the public.
“We usually sell these at fairs and other events,” she said.
The school also holds an open day every Thursday, where the public can enjoy various services, including reflexology, allowing students to hone their skills.
It recently won the Best School award in the secondary school category at the Iskandar Puteri Low Carbon Carnival.
