Memoirs of a Sustainable Salon

We spoke to some of the most successful sustainable salons from around the globe. These businesses understand that there’s no Planet-B, and because of that, they’re working hard to reduce their carbon footprint. Here’s how they do it!

1. Why is sustainability important for hair salons and businesses?

Diana Ailey, Down to Earth

Of all businesses, I think hair salons really need to take a good look at what they do and where waste goes. Much of the waste from chemicals, metal and plastic go into landfill and down our drains into our waterways. This has to change.

Laurie Carter, Salem Hair Co.

One of the things that is really important to me is making sure we’re going to be able to continue doing our job in the future. Hairdressing is so personalised that I believe it’s unlikely to be taken over by computers anytime soon.

Because of that, we need to:

A) Take care of our bodies. I encourage everyone to work as ergonomically as possible. We have the lightest hair dryers available, basins we can stand behind, hydraulic chairs and stools. I also encourage regular exercise, massage and regular time off to keep the work/life balance in check.

B) Take care of the environment the best we can. Hairdressers produce a lot of waste so we try to diminish that by recycling as much paper, plastic and aluminium as we can. We used a brand of tinfoil called ‘Refoil‘ which is made using recycled aluminium. We then follow the Refoil method of recycling all of our tinfoil. Our salon alone creates around 13kg of aluminium recycling a month which is a lot — especially when tinfoil is so lightweight!

Rachael Kennedy, Grönn

With the chemicals and waste that salons and businesses can potentially create, I think it’s up to us to really lead by example and show that you can still do great business and awesome hair without it impacting on the world around us. Less waste also means more profit, surely that’s key for a lot of businesses too. It’s also lovely to hear our stance on sustainability has inspired our guests and fellow businesses to follow suit. We’re always excited to share new ways of getting involved with everyone.

Bridgette Young, Off the Fringe

It’s important for any business to be as sustainable as possible, for now, and for future generations. It is important to me, as an owner and stylist, to have a sustainable salon as I want to be able to do my part in helping protect the environment and show people that it doesn’t have to be difficult. We also wanted to educate our clients on what they can do to be part of being more sustainable. We want to have a little spark of interest for our clients to be more aware of what they are using and how they are using products at home. Like using organic products, products that are safe for the environment as well as better for you. We want to be part of the bigger picture, doing our little bit. New Zealand is known to be “clean and green” but the waterways and oceans are suffering and as a combined force I think hairdressers in NZ could make a massive difference in the fight for our environment.

Julie Featherman, Juju Salon and Organics

Businesses, small and large, create a carbon footprint no matter the industry. Any adjustments to positively reduce this footprint matters, i.e. a recycling program, using sustainable energy and energy audits, sourcing from companies that are committed to greener business practices.  Further, many consumers are looking to spend their money at companies that promote sustainability and are transparent in their practices.

“Being sustainable is no longer a choice. I hate to think what it will be like for the next generation if we don’t change now.” — Annabel Kinley, Scout Hair.

2. What steps does your business take to be sustainable?

Laurie Carter, Salem Hair Co.
Being sustainable is often as easy as creating a few new habits, such as asking the client if they’d like a receipt before printing it, or turning off lights in rooms that aren’t occupied. It’s these small steps that salons can implement that can make a huge impact on our environment.

Rachael Kennedy, Grönn
Absolutely everything from the building work, salon decor to products and renewable energy we use has been chosen with sustainability in mind. We are a fully vegan salon and everything is handpicked to fit with our eco-values, even our non-chlorinated toilet roll. The only plastic we have in the salon are our shampoo bottles and they are made from biodegradable food-grade plastic. We’re now paperless too, thanks to Timely! The salon and its sustainability is an ongoing project. As soon as a better and more planet-friendly alternative comes along, we’ll be jumping on it!

Diana Ailey, Down to Earth

Our business has joined forces with an amazing company called Sustainable Salons. Sustainable Salons provide different bins for our waste which is then disposed of in a more eco-friendly manner. Everything is separated into specific bins: paper, metal, plastic, hair, and then food scraps which go into our regular garbage pick up.

Hair clippings are collected and made into ‘Hairbooms’. These are taken out into our oceans and used to clean up oil spills as they have discovered that hair is the best thing to absorb oil. These Hairbooms can be used up to four times.

Ponytails are also collected and are used to make wigs for those with cancer or alopecia.

Bridgette Young, Off the Fringe

At Off the Fringe, we think about our environmental impact every step of the way and make a conscious effort to continually improve in this area as new opportunities become available.

In the past year, we have reduced our waste by using introducing ‘Rockfoil‘ reusable foil. We’ve also replaced our basin taps to eco-heads, almost all lights have been changed to energy efficient light bulbs and we have changed to eco cleaners. Even our commercial cleaners who come in once per week use eco cleaning products and cloths.

We use our dishwasher on eco mode whilst using ‘Ecover’ dishwasher tablets and have invested in beautiful ceramic cups for clients to enjoy their beverage (no throwaway cups here). We also replaced our old heat pump with a much more efficient and energy friendly solution.

We recycle packaging of colour and retail products, where possible. We have come a long way over the years and will work to improve every year in our commitment to conserving our planet for future generations.

Julie Featherman, Juju Salon and Organics

Juju Salon & Organics was founded on sustainability.  Twelve years in, we continue to re-evaluate and improve our “clean salon” status. Basic sustainability initiatives like having a structured recycling program and using 100% wind-generated electricity were implemented when we opened. Most of the furniture throughout the salon was purchased second-hand. All of our retail offerings are made by companies who are USDA Organic Certified with their ingredients being wholly non-toxic and organic. Laundry loads are full to capacity, in our attempts to monitor water usage. We recently switched to bio-degradable ‘paper’ foils for highlighting hair.

3. What are some trustworthy products that your business uses? are these products tested on animals?

Diana Ailey, Down to Earth

I always choose credible companies and Australian where possible. One of our favourites is Davroe Hair Care because they are Australian owned, no parabens, not tested on animals, and simply a quality product. We also use Jeval colours, due to their low ammonia and they are high in plant extract. All styling products again are paraben free. It’s important to me that we tap into ethical companies who are on the same page.

Rachael Kennedy, Grönn
We love working with Davines! From first meeting them it was clear that they shared the same values and ethics. With their Essential Haircare, they promote sustainable beauty and have even built their own sustainable village in their home, Palma. We love that they are committed, like us, toward the environment and that includes being cruelty-free and part of the Presidia Slow Food Project as well as being part of the Lifegate Zero Impact project.

Bridgette Young, Off the Fringe

Our main product we use in the salon on our clients is Organic Colour Systems. This is our number one choice for colour and retail range. We have been using this for many years. We trust the company and its products implicitly as they provide all information on ingredients up front. There is no grey area where their products are concerned. This has helped us tremendously when it comes to clients who may have allergies to certain ingredients. We can check every bottle for the exact ingredients and show them what each product contains. Our manufacturer, Herb UK, has a fantastic training program which allows us, as hair stylists, to really understand what the specific ingredients do and how they can benefit the client. We offer a skin patch test to every new client and we also follow up with patch tests on clients at least once per year. I believe in a company that has nothing to hide. We want to know what’s in that bottle and if those ingredients are safe to use and that they have been ethically sourced and if they are animal-friendly. These are the most important points to consider when looking at products. All the products we use in the salon are animal-friendly, Organic Colour systems have never and will never test on animals.

I have worked with hairdressers who have suffered from eczema and psoriasis and I struggle to understand why they have never made the effort to find brands that they can actually work with.

Julie Featherman, Juju Salon and Organics

None of the products we sell or use on our clients are tested on animals. Our business and the products we sell are 100% Cruelty-Free. Our favourites include 100% Pure, John Masters Organics, Innersense, Max Green Alchemy, Starflower Essentials, Suki Skincare, Supergoop, Beauty Without Cruelty and Sevi.

4. What tips would you give other businesses who are thinking of becoming more sustainable?

Diana Ailey, Down to Earth

Research is key. All salons should start learning what ingredients are and how they work — are some of the ingredients in products really necessary? Learn about the company that supplies you. Are they ethical?  If a salon doesn’t care about what they’re using it will eventually reflect on how the business grows. Clients today are very ethically aware and they also are researching the salons they go to.

Rachael Kennedy, Grönn

I really have a lot of fun hunting out greener products, services, and systems to change to in the salon. Admittedly I’m a bit of a ‘Green Geek’! I LOVE social media and use it to hang out with our worldwide Davines family. It’s a great inspiration and you can see how others are sustainable. We also follow @EthicalHour on Twitter it’s great for inspiration and there’s always other businesses on hand to give advice.

Bridgette Young, Off the Fringe

Do it! Make small changes, like light bulbs, first. I have recently started replacing the good old fluorescent lights with LED. It has made a huge difference to the salon lighting and there is a 15-year life on those babies! No more throwing out bulbs! LED light bulbs alone save you money and reduce waste, piling up in our landfills (as well as saving money on electricity). It’s a flow on effect: you do one thing and it has a domino effect on the next thing. Every bit helps!

Julie Featherman, Juju Salon and Organics

Start by assessing the following areas of the business: equipment, products/retail, furniture, energy providers, waste and water. Create a plan to implement greener practices in each of these categories.

“There is just so much STUFF and we throw it away, but ultimately there is no such thing as away. It’s scary.” — Annabel Kinley, Scout Hair.

5. What are some easy switches that salons can make to reduce their footprint?

Diana Ailey, Down to Earth

The biggest switch a salon can do is to use “Refoil”. Refoil is recycled foil for colour, as hairdressers are one of the biggest contributors to landfill. Foil takes 500 years to break down which is horrifying given how much we use.

Rachael Kennedy, Grönn

The easiest trick would be to swap out your energy supplier to a renewable greener source and changing bulbs and lighting to LED. Recycling is another easy one, especially for those that deal with organic waste, like food and hair, it’s all compostable! Ask yourself, ‘do we need this and how does it impact or business and planet?’

Bridgette Young, Off the Fringe

Start with the small stuff, such as switching to eco-friendly cleaning products and offering organic teas and coffees. Then move onto bigger things, like energy-efficient heating or air-conditioners and printers and lighting. Mostly I think it is a lifestyle choice to make.

I want to be able to offer my staff and clients a safe a pleasant place to come to. I want them to be able to use the products knowing that these organic ingredients have been ethically sourced and that they are not adding to the pollution of the waterways. These are just a few of the important issues that I have thought about when it comes to my salon and our brands we choose to use.

Julie Featherman, Juju Salon and Organics

The first easy switches are energy-related. Switch to a renewable energy provider, change out lightbulbs to CFLs. Watch your water usage, establish a recycling program and lastly, source from vendors whose packaging is recyclable and who manufacture products that are renewable, organic, non-toxic and cruelty-free.

6. Why do clients love eco-friendly salons?

Rachael Kennedy, Grönn

Quite simply it’s hair you can feel good about!

Diana Ailey, Down to Earth

These days, clients are very aware and want to frequent ethical businesses. By talking to customers about who you affiliate yourself with and your efforts to reduce the ecological footprint will most definitely increase your chances of growth and longevity.

Bridgette Young, Off the Fringe

The comment I hear most often with new clients is that they love the smell of the salon. It doesn’t smell like ammonia or have a very strong aroma. Everything you smell is from organic products.

We are finding that more clients coming through the door in search of better choices. Clients are becoming more educated on the products available to them, and because of that, we need to keep up with the best and safest products around.

Clients love that we use eco-friendly products and by choosing to come to us they too are making the choice to be eco-friendly. Customers who use our products at home are making small changes to protect the environment and to protect themselves by further eliminating chemicals from their lives.

Julie Featherman, Juju Salon and Organics

Clients love to visit businesses that mirror their ethics and interests.  These clients are using their dollars to support an environmental movement against global warming, toxic waste, polluted oceans, factory farming, etc.