Hair salons and dog groomers in Spartanburg are participating in a grassroots project started by California based Matter of Trust, which collects hair to stuff in nylon hosepipes to serve as booms or mats to soak up oil. These act as a barrier for oil and prevent it from spreading.

Millions of gallons of oil from an underwater well have been spilling into the Gulf since April 20 explosion and fire on the drilling fix Deepwater Horizon, leased by BP, which is in charge of cleanup and containment. But now Matter of Trust has come up with an idea of creating booms to absorb the oil.

Erin Bolton, owner of Nevaeh Salon in Roebuck, came to know about Matter of Trust through Facebook and he began collecting hair last week and has accumulated a trash bag full. "Customers are excited about it, and we've had some calling us saying they want to cut their long hair just for this, so it's a way for all of us to help," Bolton said.

The nationwide publicity has also initiated numerous "boom bbq" events, where volunteers stuff hair into nylons, which are sent to a particular warehouse as assigned by Matter of Trust. Hair from more than 100 central Pennsylvania alpacas is heading to the Gulf. Owners of the Eastland Alpaca Farm have sent about 200 pounds of waste fibers to a warehouse in Florida, where it will be used in floating hair booms just like the ones made of human hair.