We love to hear from you about your efforts to make your salons more sustainable and practices you are adopting. Here Zoë Rees of Bliss Salon shares how she and her team are making a difference…
At a time when the world has stopped in its tracks, our attention for the later part of 2021 now turns to sustainability, with the hairdressing industry looking forward to the future with full focus on helping the environment and living a more sustainable life.
Sustainable living is something I pride myself on and is a huge part of my business, Bliss Salon. In order to help the world we live in, I have, along with my team, put a real conscious effort into making our salon as sustainable as possible. I couldn’t believe the things we could do in the salon to help our environment and in doing so over the years, our space is now a fully established vegan salon.
A lot of work and research went into this and I am delighted to share with you my sustainable tips for those looking to develop their salon into one that connects with the environment on a whole new level.
Tip 1 – Join the green Salon Collectivewww.greensaloncollective.com
My salon recently joined the fantastic Green Salon Collective – something we are very proud to be a part of. They are the original authority on salon sustainability and cover the UK and Ireland. They help you recycle, re-use and give hints and tips on how to become more sustainable. They also support local charities and communities in order to reach a much greener and natural future.
Tip 2 – Recycle hair!
Yes, that’s right, recycle all the hair you have cut or trimmed in the salon. Yes, it can be fully recycled – isn’t that amazing? There are many ways hair can be recycled.
1 – Hair is a protein, and like all proteins it will begin to break down when composted. This can be given to farmers for their fields or local gardeners – isn’t this fantastic?
2 – Hair can help the oceans! Collect all the hair cut in the salon into a recyclable bag, this can then be packed and sent off and used in the oceans to absorb the oils which damage our environment. Hair absorbs oils very well and it a brilliant resource for our oceans.
3 – Donate: A great and helpful way to make someone else’s life that little bit better. Depending on the length requirement, hair can be donated to charity such as The Little Princess Trust to make into a wig for a child who is losing their hair due to cancer. This is a truly great way to help.
Tip 3 – Recycle Everything
As simple as it sounds, we recycle everything we possibly can. From colour tubes, cardboard, foils, left over foils, food – anything we can recycle, we do just that. We are very conscious of what we bring into the salon, as we try our hardest to recycle and reuse where we can.
Tip 4 – Chose a product company who supports your values
With being a very eco-conscious salon, it was very important for us to work with brands who share the same values and views as us. Our clients know the importance of sustainability within our salon and it’s vital we carry this on through everything we do and everything we provide. Within Bliss, we work with ELEVEN Australia who are a sustainable brand and who recognise the importance of this within their products. The products are fully recyclable, vegan and very kind to the world.
Tip 5 – Use biodegradable gowns
In a life after covid, we are following a very strict list of restrictions and as a result are using one use gowns and towels in order to maintain the health and safety of our clients and team members. As a result of this, sourcing biodegradable gowns and towels is much kinder to the planet and a way of being more sustainable. You pay be slightly more but you are helping so much by doing so.
