Ashley Higgins, founder of Little Lady Locks Charity
Little Lady Locks, the children’s hair charity I founded in 2018, is calling on stylists to raise awareness that human hair extensions can be reused and should not be thrown out.
When removing extensions, simply keep them in a neat pile, secure the tops and send them to us – we then sort the hair for usability into texture, colours and lengths. Where the extensions still have some life, they will be used to make wigs and hair pieces for children suffering with hair loss. And where the hair is unsuitable to be used for this, we send it on to the Matter of Trust charity, where it is used in hair matts to absorb oil and debris in oceans and waterways.
“With AEVUM, we made a conscious decision to bake sustainability into the project from day one, rather than adding a green gloss later:
From a build point of view, we chose long-life materials and modular furniture, so pieces can be repaired, refinished or repurposed rather than ripped out every few years. All the lighting is LED with temperature and brightness control, so we’re reducing energy draw while still working at a really high technical level for colour. All of our consultations and records are digital, which cuts paper straight away, and we’re very selective about suppliers, looking for brands like evo and easydry that take manufacturing, packaging and refill seriously rather than treating sustainability as an afterthought. Waste is separated rigorously, and we’re putting proper recycling streams in place for colour tubes, foils and chemical containers rather than letting everything head to landfill.
We also think about sustainability in terms of behaviour. Longer, more thoughtful appointments mean fewer corrective visits, healthier hair over time and, ultimately, less chemical processing across a client’s lifetime.” – Tom Smith, co-founder of Aevum and International Creative Colour Director for Evo
Blue Tit London
When you think of ‘sustainability’ in the hair industry, your mind may jump to eco-friendly packaging or refillable shampoo bottles, but for Blue Tit London – a collective of 17 salons across trendy neighbourhoods – sustainability means something deeper.
For Blue Tit, sustainability is about people, and it starts by reimagining what it means to build a career in hairdressing. Rather than offering jobs that burn out talent, the salon group has created a culture where stylists can grow, thrive and feel supported every step of the way.
They were also the first salon collective in Europe to achieve B Corp certification, a mark of businesses committed to putting purpose before profit.
At the heart of this philosophy is the Blue Tit Academy, which provides structured training, mentorship and development at every level – from apprenticeships through to leadership. Stylists aren’t just taught how to cut and colour; they’re supported with wellbeing benefits, career coaching and even the chance to launch their own salons. Aside from just salon-based work, they can also showcase their talent at festivals, on shoots and at industry events. It’s a model that’s attracting diverse new talent and keeping creativity alive for the long haul.
And the results are written in the career journeys of the people who bring Blue Tit to life. Take Areeb Qaiser, for example. She first picked up her scissors as an apprentice in Durham, never imagining where it might take her. Today, she’s a Level 3 Stylist at Blue Tit Streatham, with a career full of festivals, shoots and creative projects. Or Aileas Lee-Porter, whose career began eight years ago with an NVQ and a desire to learn more. Having mastered cutting, colouring and working across all hair types through the Academy, Aileas is now not only a Level 5 Stylist at Crouch Hill, but also an educator, passing on her skill set to new students.
Stories like Areeb’s and Aileas’s show how education at Blue Tit goes beyond technical training, highlighting the positive outcomes of offering wellbeing benefits and leadership support. Of course, Sustainability is also deeply ingrained in the business, and Blue Tit collaborates with charities, diverse and female-led businesses, social enterprises and fellow B Corps too – truly championing community at every turn.
And what’s the result? A salon collective where sustainability isn’t just about recycling; it’s about creating careers with real longevity. By investing in people first, Blue Tit proves that the future of hairdressing can be as kind to its people as it is to the planet.
“Sustainability is easier than you think. It’s not hard to start adding eco-conscious practices into the salon; the hard bit is sticking to it long term and doing it properly, rather than just ticking a box.” – Harry Andreou, owner of Studio U
Stephanie Bruce, General Manager of The Hairdressing & Beauty Suppliers Association
Through using initiatives like Recycle My Salon, sustainability practices are low effort and accessible for busy salons – it keeps pricing low (from just £40 per collection), simplifies the booking process and removes operational burdens that may prevent stylists from recycling. What’s your excuse?!
Susan Collins Home of Hair
Back in 2024, Susan Collins Home of Hair became Ireland’s first B Corp certified salon, but the change didn’t happen overnight. The brand’s founder, Susan Collins, talks us through the small, practical changes she implanted on the salon’s sustainable journey:
We Chose Purpose Led Partners:
We aligned ourselves with brands whose values matched our own, starting with Davines. It’s commitment to sustainability, ethics and transparency helped us strengthen our own standards across products, education and supply chains.
We Reduced Water, Energy and Laundry Usage:
One of our most impactful changes was switching to easydry towels across both salons. This dramatically reduced laundry, cutting water consumption, electricity usage and chemical detergents. A simple swap with a huge environmental pay-off.
We Tackled Waste Head-On:
From colour tubes and foils to general salon waste, we introduced structured recycling systems and work with the Green Salon Collective to minimise what goes to landfill.
Remi Cachet
Additional Lengths Ltd, the group behind professional hair extensions brand Remi Cachet, has officially become a Certified B Corporation. The certification applies across the entire Additional Lengths Ltd group, including Remi Cachet, Additional Lengths and Qute.
“Becoming a Certified B Corp business is a powerful, independent validation of the ethics, care and integrity behind Remi Cachet. This isn’t about ticking boxes; it’s about raising standards and proving that luxury hair extensions and responsible business can, and should, go hand-in-hand,” says the brand’s Founder, Victoria Lynch.
Scrummi
Sustainable disposable towel brand Scrummi has successfully re-certified as a Certified B Corporation, achieving a score of 103. This marks a significant increase from its 2022 score of 87, reinforcing Scrummi’s long-term commitment to using business as a force for good. “Re-certifying as a B Corp is a powerful testament to the commitment of our entire team to building a business that is a genuine force for good.” comments Founder and Managing Director, Rob Cooper.
Great Lengths
As the first hair extensions brand globally to achieve B Corp certification, Great Lengths continues to set the standard for what responsible luxury looks like in our industry. B Corp status is more than a badge; it recognises businesses that meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. For Great Lengths, that commitment runs through every part of the brand – from ethically sourced, voluntarily donated temple hair, to a fully-traceable and circular supply chain. And, for salons and stylists, partnering with a B Corp means offering clients complete confidence in where that hair comes from and how it is handled.
By choosing B Corp Certified brands, salons can align themselves with companies that place, people, community and the planet alongside performance – leading the way for a more responsible future in the hair industry and beyond.
