With sustainability and training being two of her greatest passions, award-winning hairdresser and educator, Anne Veck, is taking to her bike for sustainable salon education.
Driven by changes in the educational needs of salons, Anne has developed a series of creative and sustainable solutions within her ‘micro-education’ courses. “When it comes to salon education, the problems I hear time and time again are 1) the cost of training 2) the time it takes off the salon floor and 3) the expenses incurred by the team members getting there,” says Anne.
To tackle these three main issues, Anne’s new micro-training programme is designed to work around the time the salon has available. The education is led by the needs of the salon itself and involves short, regular training sessions.
What’s more, prioritising the impact on the planet and avoiding large travel expenses for the budget savvy, Anne will be travelling to the salons exclusively on her bike! Testing the concept out close to home, all participating salons will be within a 30-mile radius of where she lives.
“I love that this combines the best of all worlds! With the training being local, I can take to the road on my bike with my training materials in my backpack. So, the sessions will give me physical fitness as well as mental fitness!”
Whilst a hair salon may be the last place you’d expect to find ground-breaking environmental solutions, it’s right here that hair is playing a starring role in an innovative soil regeneration project. The Quiet Fiber Cycle Field Study in Norfolk is transforming hair waste into a powerful tool for improving soil health and combating climate change.
At the Wild Ken Hill Estates in Norfolk, a 1-hectare site will be covered with a carefully measured mix of 1.2 tons of hair, 1 ton of pet fur and 4 tons of wool. These natural fibres are being collected from households, salons, groomers and recyclers all over the UK – through initiatives like the Green Salon Collective – before being used as part of a study to investigate the regenerative potential of hair, wool and fur when used as mulch in soil applications.
Project Goals and Expected Outcomes:
Evaluate the effectiveness of hair mulch, wool mulch and pet fur mulch in improving soil quality. Compare the moisture retention, decomposition rates and microbial activity of different fiber-based mulches. Promote the importance of composting and highquality compost for sustainable farms and gardens. Rediscover the Quiet Fiber Cycle, reconnecting with pre-industrial practices of fiber recycling that sustained our environment. Engage local recycling networks and encourage sustainable waste management practices.
Expert stylist and salon owner, Zoë Rees, has recently unveiled her brand-new e-book, ‘Beginning the Journey Towards Sustainable Salon Life’. Completely free, the comprehensive guide is designed to help salon owners take meaningful, practical steps towards sustainability, without the overwhelm.
With salons facing increasing pressure to reduce their environmental impact, combined with financial uncertainty, many stylists want to embrace sustainability but don’t know where to begin. Zoë is drawing from her own real-world experience as a salon owner to provide an easy-to-follow roadmap, featuring:
Access the free e-book here: www.rdr.link/HBH001
