Sustainability

WORDS GEORGINA FULLER / MATT LAMY

When it comes to eco-awareness, the world is changing rapidly – and it’s time salons change too.

STEPS TO GOING

Considering the amount of resources used by the hair and beauty industry, sustainability and environmental awareness should be at the front of most salon owners’ minds.

A report by energy supplier Selectra estimated that a small salon uses 7000kWh of electricity a year – more than double the average UK household. And stylist and salon owner Anne Veck (see Top 3 tips for sustainability) has calculated that UK hair salons and barbershops generate more carbon dioxide emissions – around 750,000 to 900,000 tonnes a year – than many small countries.

‘Add in the huge amounts of energy, water, plastic and chemicals that we use, and the large amounts of waste, and the industry’s impact is considerable,’ says Anne. ‘And that doesn’t even include supply chains and the impact of the manufacturers who supply our products.’

However, lots of simple steps can be taken, and good eco-sense – with reduced demand for resources and less waste – can mean good business sense. Th e Eco Hair and Beauty project, for example, found that switching to eco-friendly practices could save the average four-seat salon £5300 every year.

So where should we start?

1Systemic swaps Joe Hemmings, owner of Bristol’s Bloggs Salons, which off er hair services and nail treatments, says salon owners have a responsibility to reduce their environmental footprint.

‘It’s up to us to act, to help leave the planet for our children and their children,’ he says.

Joe’s tips range in diffi culty, starting with simple things, such as using eco-friendly energy suppliers, going paperless and using biodegradable towels. ‘You could also look at initiatives where companies plant a tree for every product you buy,’ he advises.

For salons wanting to take their measures even further, there are more complex systemic swaps, such as swapping air conditioning for a good ventilation system with more oxygen-producing plants around the salon, or changing the entire water supply and waste system to really reduce waste. 2 Costing the feel-good factor Although some measures come with an increased cost, Joe has found a way to accommodate this while highlighting his salons’ green credentials.

‘We charge every client a £3 sustainability fee,’ he explains. ‘We are lucky, as Bristol is a very green city and clients love the thought of helping the environment – but salon owners need to communicate with clients and their local community about their initiatives, to get people on board.’

Becoming environmentally aware can be attractive for clients and staff . Claire Higgs, owner of Nylon Hair Artists in Reading, says: ‘Our clients and team love the fact that we’re a green business. It’s one of the best things we have done since coming out of lockdown. We are constantly looking for ways to reduce our environmental footprint.

‘We recycle all our hair, and this goes to make hair booms that help with oil spills in the

ANNE VECK TOP 3 TIPS FOR SUSTAINABILITY

Change from cotton to biodegradable compostable towels, capes and gowns Switch to green energy Move to a sustainable, ethical product supplier

‘The best and easiest way to be more sustainable is stepby-step,’ Anne says. ‘Start with baby steps like turning off the hot water tap or installing LED lighting, and do one new thing every week.’

To download Anne’s 2021 Sustainability Hero award-winning sustainable salon toolkit, visit:

bit.ly/salon-re-source

SMALL CHANGES = BIG DIFFERENCE

ZOE REES, OWNER OF BLISS HAIR THERAPY

We’re a small salon in Worcestershire, but little changes add up and clients love the fact that we’re a sustainable business. When I tell them the extra one pound ‘Green Fee’ on top of their charge goes towards recycling costs, it’s a selling point – it gives people the feelgood factor.

We’ve switched to energy-effi cient light bulbs, and all cans, cardboard, plastics and paper are recycled through the council. We have also put Ecoheads on our showers, saving around 390 litres of water a day.

We bought a starter kit from a salon recycling fi rm, giving us three bins for hair, metals and excess chemicals, plus a returns box. It costs about £210 for each recycling collection I order, which sounds expensive, but clients love it. We book a collection every four to six weeks and recycle around 187kg of metal, hair and chemicals per year – the weight of an average-sized motorbike!

blisshairtherapy.co.uk

FOCUSING ON BEAUTY

SARAH HARMAN, OWNER OF HEATHFIELD HAIR AND BEAUTY

We have one beauty therapist and recycle everything we can from her room. The chemical impact is quite small as she does not offer nail extensions or gels, or do lash work except for tinting. We also use Decléor skincare, which focuses on natural ingredients, so our only chemical waste is wax and leftover facemask, which should not be harmful as it is mainly natural ingredients.

Being sustainable from a beauty perspective is not that different to sustainability in the hair side of the business, on a day-to-day basis. We changed our lighting to more energyeffi cient LEDs and have lots of clean air plants.

Everyone wants to do their bit, but it needs to be easy for people to contribute. That’s why salon recycling companies are a great idea.

heathfi eldhairandbeauty.co.uk

oceans. Any hair long enough will be made into wigs. All our chemical waste [such as glues or cleaning products] is taken too, so it isn’t going down sinks into the oceans.’

3Chemical alternatives Th e chemical issue is a challenge but, as Claire says, salon-specifi c recycling fi rms such as Salon Sustainability will take chemicals away and treat them. And before that stage, there are things salons can do – in terms of cleaning, for example, brands such as Bower Collective, Neat and Bio D off er environmentally friendly products.

JC Aucamp, Salon Sustainability director, says that when salons reopened after lockdown, antibacterial sprays and hand gels became part of daily life – but these too can be ecosound. ‘Rather than sprays and wipes, which take years to biodegrade, salons can use the Enozo spray, which changes water to disinfectant and is chemicalfree,’ he says.

4Reducing waste Packaging and water use are also two areas in which the industry can signifi cantly reduce waste.

‘Unfortunately, most hair products are still packaged in plastics,’ says JC. ‘Th e best alternative is to have a product refi ll station in your salon.’

In this regard, barbershops are also working hard to be more eco-friendly. ‘Using products in metal or glass containers is an important step,’ says Damien Diablo, at 1981 Barbershop in Truro. ‘Reducing water consumption is another. We use an Ecohead shower attachment that reduces water and energy usage by up to 65% and fi lters the water through minerals to nourish the hair.