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Sustainable Practices For Your Salon

Published date 08 August 2024

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Are you a hairdresser wanting to make a change to become more sustainable?

As a salon owner or hairdresser, you have a unique opportunity to make a positive impact on the environment through your business practices. Implementing sustainability into your salon space not only helps the planet but also resonates with eco-conscious clients. We’ll explore key areas where you can make a difference, with some help from our Quif artist, Brooke Evans, a salon owner who has successfully integrated sustainability into her business. Let’s dive in…

Choosing The Right Brand

When it comes to choosing the brands and products you use with your clients and want to retail in your salon, it’s important to evaluate the brand based on its environmental impact. Through researching the brand and looking at product labelling, you can easily look for certifications like cruelty-free and recyclability.

Brooke’s Insight: “All products in my salon are sustainable and environmentally friendly - for me it’s critical that salon businesses are on board with this due to the increase in environmental problems we are faced with. Everyone should be doing their bit! At the salon, we always check how sustainable products are, such as how the ingredients are sourced, how the products are made, and whether they have cruelty-free and recyclable logos.”

Managing Waste

To manage waste levels within the salon, it may be that you stricken your recycling programme. Partner with local businesses to repurpose materials as well as switch to biodegradable, eco-friendly accessories such as towels and foils.

Brooke’s Insight: “We try to recycle as much as we can, including product boxes and towels. We set our cardboard waste aside so a local business can collect and reuse it for their own purpose. We also use eco-friendly towels that are biodegradable, but we also ensure that we get the most use out of them by either letting our clients take them home or using them as cleaning cloths!”

Being Energy Efficient

Maximising energy efficiency in your salon not only reduces your carbon footprint but also lowers operating costs. Let’s discuss some practical steps you can take:
  • Upgrade lighting: Switch to LED lighting, which uses less energy and lasts longer than traditional bulbs.
  • Energy-efficient Appliances: Invest in energy-efficient hairdryers, washing machines, and other salon equipment.
  • Smart Thermostats: Use programmable thermostats to optimise heating and cooling, ensuring you’re not wasting energy when the salon is not in use.
  • Water Usage: Managing water in a salon space can be difficult to overcome, so let’s get Brooke's insight on how she manages this.
Brookes Insight: “We use eco-heads that distribute the water quickly, using less of it, as well as a water purifying filter that can also improve the health of the client's hair.”
By installing eco-heads on your faucets to reduce water consumption, consider adding water filtration systems to improve water quality, which can enhance hair treatments and overall client satisfaction!

Community Engagement

Sustainability extends beyond the salon!  Engaging with your community on environmental initiatives can amplify your impact and attract like-minded clients.
  • Local Partnerships: Collaborate with local eco-friendly businesses or non-profits to support environmental causes. Your clients will also appreciate your involvement with this.
  • Client Education: Host workshops or events to educate your clients about sustainability and how they can also incorporate eco-friendly practices into their hair & beauty routines.
  • Social Media: Use your platforms to promote sustainability tips and showcase your efforts, encouraging the hair community to adopt greener practices within their salons.

Brooke's Go-To Brands

Question: What are your favourite go-to environmentally friendly hair brands?

Brooke's Insight: "amika - their brand ethos is so fun, environmentally friendly, and the packaging is amazing you wouldn’t think it was sustainable! They also supply refillable bottles to cut down on waste. For colour, we use Quif,  which is perfect when following sustainable practices, as well as being vegan-friendly and cruelty-free!"

Becoming sustainable is a journey that starts with small, conscious steps. By integrating eco-friendly practices, such as product selection, water usage, and community engagement, you can create a salon that not only thrives in the professional hair industry but also contributes positively to the environment! Follow Brooke Evans @br00ke.evans and her salon @be.ironbridge on Instagram to keep up with her everyday sustainable salon life.
At Alan Howard, we strive to support businesses in the professional hair and beauty industry, and if you’re a salon that wants to implement more sustainable practices we have just the solution. Introducing ‘Recycle My Salon’, a hair salon recycling programme to enable professionals to recycle hair & beauty products and contribute to sustainability efforts.
Click here for more information about the Recycle My Salon programme.

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