Rethinking Salon Waste: Where Does Your Recycling Actually Go?

By Paul Frasca

As we gear up for National Recycling Week this November, let’s have a heart-to-hair chat about something that might be lingering in the back of your mind: where does all that waste we generate actually go?

Established by Planet Ark in 1996, this annual event reminds us that it’s not about recycling more but recycling better. Sure, we all do our part—sorting plastics from paper and tossing items into the recycling bin—but have you ever wondered about the journey that waste takes after it leaves your salon? Spoiler alert: it’s an eye-opener!

The Answer Isn’t Pretty (But It Could Be!)

The truth about salon waste isn’t as straightforward as we might hope—much like trying to explain the intricacies of a pixie cut to a client who simply wants “a little off the top.” So, let’s dive into the reality of salon waste and discover how your waste could be transformed into something remarkable.

The Salon Waste Problem or 3 Million Kilograms of Opportunity?

Across Australia and New Zealand, salons send about 3 MILLION kilograms of waste to landfill each year.

Just imagine; that’s about the weight of 20 Boeing 747s sitting in a dump, breaking down over hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Talk about hair-raising!

For most salons, council recycling bins only cover about 25% of their waste, and even then, only a portion actually gets recycled. Councils are equipped to handle materials like clean plastics, paper, and glass, but items unique to salons—stained foils, empty shampoo bottles, hair clippings, and plastic film— usually end up in the rubbish, ultimately adding to landfill waste.

So Where Does Your Recycling Actually Go?

Here’s the hard truth: traditional recycling services aren’t built for salon waste. Studies show that councils can only manage a small fraction of it, with only 60% of the collected items actually recycled. Ouch!

Now, let’s flip that script. Sustainable Salons can manage up to 95% of salon waste, ensuring 100% of it is recycled! We welcome a broader range of items like plastic film, shampoo bottles, bags, and chip packets. And the best part? No rinsing is required—just toss it into our bins, and we’ll take care of the rest.

Turning Waste into Potential: How Your Salon Can Make a Difference

When you recycle correctly, you’re not just helping the environment; you’re opening up new possibilities for your community and your business. Let’s break it down:

Hair: Untapped Potential

Those hair clippings you think are just waste? They’re actually super versatile! Hair is organic and can be used in some eco-friendly ways. For example, hair booms can soak up oil spills, helping to reduce environmental damage in our oceans. Plus, hair clippings can be transformed into “hairy soil” called Soilz Alive to nourish plants and boost their growth. Believe it or not, through our research with Charles Sturt University, we’ve found that human hair could even be used to power electric vehicle batteries—how’s that for futuristic recycling? We’ve collected 96,784 kilograms of hair clippings and pet fur for innovative recovery projects like oil spill clean-ups and enhancing soil biodiversity. Who knew your salon could save the planet one haircut at a time?

Metals: Turning Waste into Meals Aluminium is infinitely recyclable! The foil you use in your salon can become something valuable again. We collect aluminium foil and colour tubes, recycling them back into metal products. The best part? We sell this collected foil to recyclers, with all proceeds going directly to OzHarvest and KiwiHarvest to help feed people in need. So far, we’ve collected 618,804 kilograms of metal waste—enough to provide over 350,000 meals!

Plastics: From Waste to Retail Recycling plastics isn’t just great for the planet—it’s good for your bottom line too. We’ve kept 529,003 kilograms of plastics, like haircare bottles, in circulation by transforming them into new products such as combs, pet leashes, and plant pots. Our members can even stock these recycled products in their salons, creating a closed loop system where clients can buy items made from their own waste. It’s like giving your clients a little piece of your salon’s eco-magic to take home.

So, this National Recycling Week, let’s take a good look at our waste and ask: where does it really go? Could it be helping the planet, your community, or even your business? By choosing Sustainable Salons, you’re not just managing waste responsibly; you’re actively contributing to a better, more sustainable future.

Keen to join the movement? Scan the QR code and discover how you can be part of the solution!