Hey there! Leo here, Owner of ROAR Hair & Beauty and passionate advocate for green beauty practices. When I first decided to make my salon more eco-friendly, I’ll admit I was a bit overwhelmed. But, let me tell you, it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve made – both for the planet and for my business! Whether you’re just starting out or looking to up your green game, I’ve got some practical tips that’ll help you make a real difference without breaking the bank:
Small changes, BIG impact:
Choose sustainable partners wisely:
Remember, sustainability boosts profitability by:
Multi award-winning hairdresser and sustainability campaigner, Anne Veck, is raising awareness around climate anxiety and the emotional reaction we have in response to environmental change.
Discussing the rise of Ultra-Fast Fashion, Anne wants people to understand how mass consumption is contributing to an increase in feelings of stress, guilt and despair.
‘During lockdown, online brands like Shein experienced explosive growth in popularity’ says Anne. ‘Personally, I feel like a victim of this phenomenon too. If I buy myself a new garment, of course it makes me happy! But then I feel guilty and cross at myself because I gave in. This leads to frustration at my inability to resist consumerism temptation.’
Anne explains that these emotional responses are normal and that the best way to tackle them is with a ‘feeling plan’:
Name your feeling
e.g. ‘I’m angry/worried/ashamed.’ These are legitimate emotional responses which show you are a well-functioning person who understands the scale of the challenges.
Accept this feeling.
Tell yourself that it’s OK to feel whatever emotion arises. You don’t need to feel bad about feeling bad.
Express this feeling safely.
You may find that these feelings are much more common in your circle than you previously realised.
Care for yourself.
What do you need in the moment? You might need to cry, take a walk, watch a silly video or crawl under the covers.
‘Once you’ve tackled your emotions, it’s time to take action,’ says Anne. ‘As soon as you start to do something, the crisis feels less like an apocalypse and more like something we can still solve.’
These actions can include:
For hairdressers feeling overwhelmed by feelings of climate anxiety, Salon RE:Source is a free, downloadable toolkit created by Anne and partner Keith Mellen to educate hairdressers on how to make their businesses more sustainable. Download it here
Rapture Hair Extensions has partnered with Recycle My Salon, the not-for-profit initiative led by the HBSA (Hairdressing & Beauty Suppliers Association). Understanding that around 99% of hair cuttings are currently sent to landfill, Recycle My Salon specialises in the collection and repurposing of hair waste from salons across the country.
Through this partnership, Rapture Hair Extensions will provide its salons with dedicated hair waste collection bins, allowing stylists to easily collect and deposit the hair clippings. Recycle My Salon will then collect the hair waste on a regular basis, transporting it to a unique In-Vessel Composting system where it is repurposed into a valuable, eco-friendly fertiliser.
