Matter of Trust Latam

What Matter of Trust Latam does

Matter of Trust Latam is a Mexico-based sustainability company founded in 2024 as the Latin American operating arm of the global Matter of Trust Inc Public Charity network (founded 1999 in California, with 27 years of hair-recycling experience). The company collects human hair from a network of certified salons under the Club Salones Cero Residuos program (run in partnership with L'Oréal since March 2024) plus individual donations, and transforms it into four commercial product lines: Petropelo (hair-based absorbents — booms, pads, sponges, drip pads, containment trays and emergency kits — for removing hydrocarbons, heavy metals, PFAS, phenols, and fecal coliforms from water, with each kg of hair absorbing up to 8 kg of hydrocarbons and 5 g of heavy metals), Agropelo (hair mulch sheets and discs that cut soil water evaporation by up to 71% and irrigation water use by up to 48% for 10–20 years), Fertipelo and Fertilana (liquid fertilizers derived from hair and wool waste), and an "Art with Hair" creative line. Validation comes from NASA and the US Air Force on the absorbent technology, and from Chilean partners Aguas Antofagasta, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, and CORFO on the agricultural product.

Name

Matter of Trust Latam

Legal name

Matter of Trust Latam

Website

https://matteroftrustlatam.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Matter of Trust Latam is a Mexico-based, mission-driven company (founded 2024) that collects recycled human hair from a certified salon network in partnership with L'Oréal and converts it into environmental products for water cleanup, agricultural water savings, and soil regeneration across Mexico.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Sustainability Services

NAICS

Remediation and Other Waste Management Services (5629), Remediation Services (562910), Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561), Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal (562211)

SIC

Hazardous Waste Management (4955), Sanitary Services (4950), Specialty Cleaning, Polishing And Sanitation Preparations (2842)

akta.pro primary industry

Universal Waste Management (Batteries, Lamps, Mercury-Containing) (BPALAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Odor, Corrosion & Air Emissions Control (H2S/VOC) (EUANADAK)

Keywords

• Hair recycling services
• Water remediation products
• Agricultural water conservation
• Corporate ESG projects
• Circular economy solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Mexico City

HQ country

Mexico

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Club Salones Cero Residuos Membership: Monthly and annual subscription memberships for hair salons that include pickup or self-shipping of hair trimmings, certification, listing on website, access to events, and semi-annual online training. Three tiers priced from 110 to 300 pesos monthly.
2. Corporate ESG Projects: Custom-designed ESG projects for enterprises covering water cleanup, water savings, soil regeneration, and corporate volunteering. Revenue from project fees. Projects are adapted to company sustainability goals and include measurable community impact.
3. Agricultural and Consumer Products: Sale of Agropelo mulch products (sheets, discs), Fertipelo and Fertilana liquid fertilizers in various sizes for agriculture, landscaping, and home use. Includes corporate gift customization with company branding.
4. Corporate Volunteering Programs: Custom-designed corporate volunteering experiences including activity design, logistics, materials, facilitators, environmental education, catering, photography, results reporting, and communications support — all across Mexico.
5. Art and Creative Works: Sale of unique art pieces, custom art creation services, and supply of creative materials made from recycled hair for museums, companies, and creative professionals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Matter of Trust Latam collects recycled human hair through a network of salons and individuals, then transforms it into environmental solutions: Petropelo hair-based absorbents that clean hydrocarbons, oils, and heavy metals from water; Agropelo hair mulch that reduces agricultural water use; and Fertipelo/Fertilana liquid fertilizers derived from hair and wool. It also delivers custom corporate ESG projects, corporate volunteering programs, salon memberships, and environmental training across Mexico.

Product overview

Matter of Trust Latam operates as a hair recycling and environmental sustainability company offering two core product lines: Petropelo (hair-based water remediation absorbents for cleaning hydrocarbons, oils, and heavy metals from water) and Agropelo (water-saving hair mulch for agriculture that reduces evaporation by 71% and irrigation water by 48%). Supporting products include Fertipelo and Fertilana (liquid fertilizers from recycled hair and wool), Petropelo Boom Barriers, Pads, Sponges, and Emergency Kits. Service programs include Club Salones Cero Residuos (hair recycling membership for salons partnered with L'Oréal), individual hair recycling, corporate ESG projects, corporate volunteering, environmental education workshops, and art creation with recycled hair. The company was founded in 2024 and is part of the global Matter of Trust Inc Public Charity network with 27 years of hair recycling experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Petropelo: Hair-based water cleanup and oil absorption system using recycled human hair to recover hydrocarbons, petroleum, oils, heavy metals, fecal coliforms, PFAS, and phenols from water bodies.
• Agropelo
• Fertipelo
• Fertilana

Products and services

• Petropelo Hair-based absorbent system for water remediation that captures hydrocarbons, petroleum, oils, heavy metals, fecal coliforms, PFAS, and phenols. Each kilogram of hair can remove up to 8 kg of hydrocarbons and 5 grams of heavy metals. Validated by NASA and used by the US Air Force. Sold to enterprises, governments, and chemical/petrochemical companies.
• Agropelo Water-saving mulch made from recycled hair that maintains soil moisture, reducing evaporation by up to 71% and irrigation water consumption by up to 48%, with 10–20 year durability. Regenerates soil and improves agricultural output. Sold to smallholder farmers, agricultural enterprises, landscapers, and home users in sheet and disc formats.
• Fertipelo and Fertilana Liquid concentrated fertilizers derived from recycled hair and wool, extracting nutrients for plant assimilation. For agriculture, orchards, landscaping, and home gardens. Applied via foliar spray or fertigation. Available in 300ml (home), 5L, and 10L (industrial) formats.
• Club Salones Cero Residuos Subscription-based hair-recycling membership program for hair salons, barbershops, and dog grooming parlors, offered in partnership with L'Oréal. Includes certification, website listing, community events access, and semi-annual online training. Three monthly tiers (110, 225, 300 pesos/month) covering self-ship and pickup in Mexico City or nationwide Mexico.
• Hair Recycling for Individuals (Reciclaje para Particulares)

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduce water evaporation by 71% and irrigation water consumption by 48%
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• L'OréalcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2024Matter of Trust Latam and L'Oréal entered a collaboration in March 2024 to raise awareness among hair salons and transition toward a greener future. The partnership promotes the Club Salones Cero Residuos program to L'Oréal-affiliated salons, barbershops, and dog grooming parlors in Mexico. L'Oréal brand visuals appear on Matter of Trust Latam's website and marketing materials, and the program certifies and lists participating salons.
• Aguas AntofagastacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Aguas Antofagasta supported the validation of the Agropelo product in Chile, contributing to the development and testing of the hair-based agricultural mulch in real farming conditions. This validation helped establish efficacy metrics and market readiness for Agropelo.
• Club de Innovación Universidad Adolfo IbáñezcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021The Innovation Club of Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez (UAI) in Chile participated in the validation of Agropelo, providing institutional support and access to innovation networks for testing and refining the agricultural product.
• CORFO (Corporación de Fomento de la Producción)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021CORFO, Chile's economic development agency, supported the validation of Agropelo in Chile. CORFO's backing provided funding and institutional credibility to test and scale the product in the agricultural sector.
• Mattia Carenini (Matter of Trust Latam Founder)coreOthers · 1 January 2020Mattia Carenini, founder of Matter of Trust Latam in Mexico, brought the Matter of Trust hair recycling model to Latin America in June 2020, expanding the global network into Mexico and Chile.
• MAPFREminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMAPFRE insurance company participated in a corporate volunteering day at Chapultepec Forest in collaboration with Matter of Trust Latam. The activity, focused on water cleanup and protection, demonstrates MAPFRE's ESG commitments while providing volunteer workforce for environmental projects.
• BASFminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBASF participated in corporate volunteering activities organized by Matter of Trust Latam, engaging employees in environmental conservation projects as part of BASF's sustainability strategy.
• Matter of Trust Inc (Global Parent)coreOthersMatter of Trust Latam is part of the global Matter of Trust Inc Public Charity network, founded in California, USA in 1999. The parent organization has 27 years of hair recycling experience, developed the Hair Matters program, led major oil spill cleanups, and opened the first Eco-Hub factory in San Francisco in 2017. The global brand provides methodology, credibility, and ecosystem access to Latam operations.
• DHL Express, FedEx, Estafeta, UPS, Rappi, UberminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMultiple logistics providers serve as shipping partners for the salon and individual hair donation programs. Salons and individuals can ship hair packages via these carriers to Matter of Trust Latam's collection points in Colonia Juárez, CDMX. Rappi and Uber enable last-mile delivery options for urban customers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Clean Harbors: Large environmental and industrial services provider offering hazardous waste management, spill response, and remediation services. Comparable in delivering B2B environmental services including hydrocarbon cleanup to enterprise and government clients.
• New Pig Corporation: Established industrial absorbent products manufacturer offering spill containment, absorbent mats, and spill kits to industrial and enterprise customers. Directly comparable to the Petropelo absorbent product line in target market and use cases, though synthetic rather than natural.
• EcoStar (EnviroStar): Distributor and formulator of commercial and industrial cleaning, sanitation, and maintenance products. Comparable in producing specialty sanitation and cleaning compounds for institutional and enterprise buyers, similar channel to Matter of Trust Latam's ESG sales motion.
• Veolia Environmental Services: Global water, waste, and energy management services company operating in Mexico and Latin America. Comparable as a large-scale environmental services provider addressing similar water and waste challenges for enterprise and municipal clients.

Direct peers

• TerraCycle: Global circular-economy company that collects hard-to-recycle waste streams and transforms them into products, mirroring Matter of Trust Latam's waste-to-product circular model. Comparable in converting waste streams into branded consumer and B2B offerings.
• Matter of Trust Inc: Global parent organization and direct operating peer operating the same hair-recycling model in the United States since 1999. Both entities share the Hair Matters program, Petropelo-equivalent products, and Eco-Hub manufacturing methodology.

Emerging players

• Watershed: Enterprise sustainability platform helping companies measure, report, and reduce carbon emissions. Comparable in enabling corporate ESG execution and connecting enterprise sustainability budgets to measurable environmental projects.
• BioBag International: Manufacturer of compostable and bio-based products made from renewable raw materials. Comparable as a circular-economy player converting alternative feedstocks into sustainable consumer and agricultural products.
• SpillFix: Manufacturer of natural and eco-friendly absorbent products for oil and hydrocarbon spill cleanup. Comparable to Petropelo's positioning as a sustainable alternative to synthetic spill absorbents.

Others

• Patagonia (environmental programs): Mission-driven outdoor brand with substantial environmental grantmaking and supply-chain sustainability programs. Comparable as a brand-led, mission-driven entity converting environmental commitment into measurable community and ecological impact, although not a direct product competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/matter-of-trust-latam
• Instagraminstagram.com/mot_latam

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Matter of Trust Latam