Barber banned from composting hair clippings

February 9, 2010 by Infowars Ireland

08 Feb 2010
www.telegraph.co.uk

A barber has been banned from taking home clippings from clients’ hair to use as compost and ordered to pay to send it to landfill instead.

Hairdresser Jeff Stone was told he was breaking the law because his clients’ disgarded locks were classified as trade waste.

Mr Stone has been taking home the hair from his salon in Blackburn, Lancs., to put on his compost heap for the past 40 years.

And Mr Stone said he has also been told he cannot take home the newspapers he buys for customers – because they are purchased with cash from the till.

Along with other shopkeepers, he has now been forced to pay £100 for trade waste sacks to be collected from outside his shop to comply with government recycling guidelines.

But documentation sent to him by Blackburn with Darwen council confirmed the bags would be emptied at landfill sites at Whinney Hill, near Accrington, and Withnell just outside Blackburn.

Mr Stone said he was furious at the council’s actions and he has been backed up by a number of councillors.

“Every authority on environmental matters recognises that human hair is fantastic compostable material. Its very biodegradable.

“But a man from the council came in and threatened me with legal action I was astounded. I have had to buy 100 of these bags, but we dont produce anywhere near that much hair we only fill a small swing bin every two or three weeks.” Read more…