Nateskin, Malaysia’s pioneer in innovative grooming solutions, is making a greener impact through their groundbreaking collaboration alongside environment-centric social enterprise, the Biji Biji Initiative. This unique partnership aims to transform spaces into greener landscapes, introducing a touch of innovation by incorporating hair into the environmental narrative via composting.
To get the ball rolling, Nateskin hosted this collaborative event, open to the general public Arcoris Mont’ Kiara; attendees were offered the option of getting a trim and donating their sheared stands after.
Collaborating with the Barber Bus — Malaysia’s one-of-a-kind bus-based barbershop — the event also marked the debut of one of Nateskin’s newest products, The Face Shaver. Participants boarded the bus and got the chance to use the Face Shaver on themselves (under the watchful eyes of the Nateskin team), and left with a fresh look as well as a Face Shaver of their very own. Operating in 15-minute slots between 10.00 am to 6.00 pm, the result was the successful collection of 3 bags of hair — supplemented by clippings provided by The Barber Bus following their resumption of operations the following day.
In a move that converts waste into value, these very hair trimmings — products which would be otherwise disposed of in a landfill — were donated to the Biji Biji Initiative and the Taman Tun Dr Ismail Edible Community Garden (TTDI Edible Community Garden) to be used as a component in creating compost for tree planting.
The resulting products will then be used to aid tree planting efforts, providing a healthy, nutrient-rich base for the seedlings to thrive.
While arguably an unexpected ingredient to be used in composting, a study from March 2023 demonstrates that the inclusion of human hair can contribute to the creation of high-quality, nutrient-rich compost.
Since hair contains slow-releasing nitrogen, this makes it an excellent source for developing nutrient-rich compost. Human hair nutrient values tend to include 16.5% nitrogen, 0.01% phosphorus, 0.01% potassium K, 0.05% magnesium, and 0.23% sulphur — all of which contribute to the nutrient content of the soil.
“It’s a bit of a departure from our usual business — we’re helping something grow this time, instead of trimming it down!” quipped Jared Chuah, founder and head of growth of Nateskin, adding: “On a more serious note, I think it’s great that we’re able to contribute to such a noble initiative.
“We thank both the Biji Biji Initiative and the TTDI Edible Community Garden for helping us turn what would have been waste into a benefit for the planet, and for giving us the opportunity to be a part of something much bigger than ourselves in the first place.”
Founded in June 2013, the Biji Biji Initiative is a homegrown, environmentally-focused organisation that aims to cultivate green-minded changemakers via social and environmental impact accelerator programs.
By encouraging businesses and individuals to adopt practices that are sustainable, collaborative, and constructive, they hope to curate a larger environmental ecosystem in the long term, as well as the public mindset needed for it.
“Our collaboration with Nateskin exemplifies the power of collective effort in fostering a greener and more sustainable urban environment. We believe that small actions, like donating hair for compost, could make a significant impact on our shared responsibility for the planet.
“The result of this collaboration was a unique venture — one that not only promoted personal care but also contributed to the larger goal of environmental sustainability, in a beautiful amalgamation of grooming and greening,” said Juliana Adam, CEO of the Biji Biji Initiative.
To learn more, please visit https://nateskin.com.my/ for information on Nateskin’s ongoing initiatives and products, or https://www.biji-biji.com/ for more on the Biji Biji Initiative’s ongoing campaigns.
