Bioplastics made from Hair

Oksana Bondar has created a dressing table stool from human hair called Wiggy by mixing hair with Polylactic Acid (PLA).

The purpose was to show an alternative use of hair that is perceived as a waste product. The student collected three weeks of hair from her hair salon in London. It took three bin bags worth of hair to make the product.

The hair was wet in soapy water. It was then rubbed to form a matted cluster. PLA was used to seal it using CNC cut mould made from chipboard.

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Oksana Bondar said

“The shape was also made to demonstrate the capabilities of the material – it can easily replace plastic injected moulds or plywood. The curves and bends are structural, they reinforce the corners of the seat and secure the legs so the stool doesn’t rattle.”

“The minimum offcuts fabrication process guides the shape of Wiggy and its narrative aspires to challenge people’s perception of aesthetics of objects through their lifecycles.”