meet Stephanie… 

A passionate environmentalist, Stephanie is the driving force behind Hyppanie Essence & Felt CIC, which transforms donated and sanitised human hair into felted eco‑mats. These incredible mats have a myriad green applications.

The mats are created using a traditional felting technique on a large scale machine. The hair can also be layered with different materials, like wool and dried grass, to enhance its properties, depending on the intended use.

Multiple mats can be built into massive booms that can absorb oil spills or filter stormwater runoff. They can also be really useful in agriculture. That’s because the eco-mats help reduce evaporation and erosion and suppress weed growth, saving water, improving soil health and reducing the use of toxic herbicides in food production. They even release essential nutrients to the soil, like a slow‑release organic fertilizer.

Since becoming a UK partner of Matter of Trust, Stephanie has been busy building a grassroots movement in Brighton to promote the use of hair mats. She engages volunteers, salon owners, environmental groups and urban farmers by demonstrating how a simple shift – collecting cut hair – can ripple through ecosystems. Stephanie’s work uses local waste to create global solutions, promoting circularity and sustainable stewardship.

Find out more about Stephanie’s inspiring work:

Website: www.hyppanieessenceandfelt.com
Email: hyppanie@hotmail.co.uk