Eco-friendly Uses for Your Pet’s Fur

Being an animal lover, there has never been a point in my life when I did not own at least one dog. Unfortunately, each of my dogs has always had the tendency to shed like there is no tomorrow. Having lived with this for years, I started to wonder if there was any use for all this hair that I was constantly vacuuming and rolling away. It turns out, there are myriad uses for your animals’ fallen fuzz that are as interesting as they are environmentally friendly.

During the spring, you can collect your animal’s fur and throw it in the yard or garden. Dog hair (as well as human hair) has special nutrients that can help your soil and, in turn, help your plants grow. Nesting animals will also love your contribution. Birds are notorious for picking up animal hair and lining their nests, which helps keep the babies warmer and more comfortable!

Another use for animal hair became popular not too long ago during the BP oil spill. Many organizations sprang up, collecting any and all hair as a natural solution to absorb the spilt oil. Animal hair was a great choice because of its biodegradable nature.

Probably my favorite idea for recycling pet hair is its ability to be made into yarn. You may think this is disgusting but just look at wool and alpaca hair – they have been used as popular clothing materials for years and you’ve probably never thought twice about it! Companies such as VIP Fibers take pet hair that you send them, wash it, and spin it into yarn. You then receive the yarn and from there, the creativity is up to you. It can be used for any project that normal yarn is used for and it will not shed like the pets that donated the hair.

For more great ideas about what to do with all that pet hair around your house, visit Wise Bread’s article here. And if you come up with any great ideas yourself or you try any of these, let us know about it!

Written By: Myranda Harnage