A colour appointment can transform a client’s look in an hour. The materials used during that service can leave an environmental legacy that lasts for centuries. But will it be a legacy to be proud of? Green Salon Collective has been on our radar for some time and they prove a valuable source of information and inspiration. Take look at the latest advice they have to share:
Championing our industry but reminding us of responsibilities, Green Salon Collective invite us to consider how many of the everyday products used in salons are in use for only a matter of minutes before being discarded. We’re talking aluminium foil and colour tubes, disposable gloves, towels, too. So while they play an essential role in professional hairdressing, given they may end up in general waste, what’s the cost to the planet? Such items maybe either lost forever or remain in landfill for generations.
A closer look
Foils may be used for around 50 minutes, yet if sent to landfill can remain there for more than 400 years.
A colour tube may deliver enough colour for only two clients’ hair before being thrown away. This is despite the fact that aluminium is infinitely recyclable without any loss of quality.
Disposable gloves are often worn for the duration of a single colour service. What next? They may become waste that can persist in the environment for hundreds of years.
Is this a legacy to be proud of?
Action required
Every day, tens of thousands of UK salons generate waste could have a second life if handled correctly. Here’s a new perspective to consider:
- Aluminium salon foils can be recycled repeatedly, reducing the need for energy-intensive virgin material
- Colour tubes can be recovered and recycled in the same way
- Hair can be reused for 15 different projects
- Reusable gloves can prevent 20 pairs from going to landfill
- Towels can be composted
- Reusable cups and glasses prevent contaminated single-use plastics
- Product refilling reduces shampoo and conditioner bottle waste.
Adopting new practices can be both better for the planet and your client relations. Consider how client expectations around sustainability continue to rise. It’s important to understand the full life cycle of salon materials is becoming increasingly important for running a modern salon business. Clients are looking for more than just good hair now.
Consumer trends
80% of consumers say they are willing to pay more for sustainably produced or sourced goods, with consumers willing to pay an average premium of 9.7%.” – PwC – 2024 Voice of the Consumer Survey
For Green Salon Collective, the message is simple. Sustainability is not about asking salons to compromise on creativity or professional standards. It is about recognising that some of the materials used for less than an hour should never become waste that lasts for centuries.
The future of sustainable hairdressing lies not only in creating beautiful hair but also in ensuring the resources used to achieve it retain value long after the appointment has finished! And you want to ensure you invest in a legacy to be proud of.
Find out more
Green Salon Collective is the UK’s leading sustainable salon membership organisation. It helps hair, beauty, and barbering businesses reduce their environmental impact through innovative recycling and resource-recovery programmes. From recycling salon waste that would otherwise go to landfill to providing practical sustainability guidance and industry-leading education, Green Salon Collective empowers businesses to make meaningful environmental change without compromising on quality or creativity.
Whether you’re looking to make your salon more sustainable or want to learn more about recycling and membership programmes, Visit HERE