DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 10 -- FOR years, hair discarded by salons has largely been treated as waste, destined for rubbish bins or disposal sites. In Tanzania, however, one entrepreneur has turned this overlooked material into a potential agricultural resource, developing technology that converts human hair into fertiliser and plant nutrients.

The innovation, developed by entrepreneur David Denis through CutOff Recycle Limited, demonstrates how waste can become a valuable raw material when combined with research, technology and entrepreneurship. The process begins in salons in Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro and Arusha, where discarded hair is collected through the companys network of collection points.

Instead of being thrown away, the hair is ...