As champions of sustainability, salon owners like you are already making a difference through environmentally friendly practices. Your dedication to sustainability sets you apart as a leader in this competitive industry. Whether you’re reducing you water and energy consumption or recycling your waste with Green Salon Collective, your salon is already making a positive impact on the planet.
But your journey doesn’t need to end there. Have you considered that your insights and experience running a hair salon can help pave the way for a more sustainable and innovative industry? By participating in research, you can elevate your salon’s impact even further. Imaging being at the forefront of groundbreaking studies, shaping industry standards and driving meaningful change across the board!
Ready to be a part of something bigger?
Stephanie Hodgson, our own Head Nerd and PhD researcher, is heading up another research project seeking to understand exactly why it can be so difficult sometimes for hairdressing businesses to reduce, reuse and recycle. (You’re right if you guessed this is about the “circular economy”!) Her first published study investigated how hair salons make the circular economy happen and in this new study she is interested in why salons make the effort to become more circular and the challenges they face when they do.
Here is where your insights and experience comes in: Stephanie is looking for salon and barbershop owners and managers to interview who have experience introducing circular economy strategies into their spaces. Have you switched out your shower heads with water-saving ones? Have you swapped out traditional for compostable towels? Do you recycle your salon hair waste with Green Salon Collective? If you have ever reduced, reused or recycled in your salon or barbershop, then she wants to talk to you! If you’ve done a lot or very little, then she wants to talk to you!
(See more ways you can be more circular at the end of this article.)
Getting involved is easier than you think. Click on the link below to instantly schedule an online interview with Stephanie. (We love to mention that she’s Canadian and super friendly!) Just look at the available time slots in the calendar and book yours now. Interviews will take place in June and July this year and may last between 60-90mins.
You have a unique opportunity to be a catalyst for change. By combining your existing green initiatives with participation in meaningful research, you can amplify your impact and drive real progress in the hairdressing industry. Let’s seize the opportunity to lead the charge towards a brighter, more sustainable future!
Some circular economy strategies for your salon or barbershop:
- Hair waste recycling (w/ Green Salon Collective)
- Metals recycling (w/ Green Salon Collective)
- Reusable metal-free hair foil
- Training to encourage (proper) recycling
- Salon plastic take back service
- Refilling stations (like Authentic Beauty Concept)
- Reusable products to replace disposable plastic products
- Recyclable plastic products
- Recycled plastic products
- Plastics recycling
- Bio-based PPE
- Biodegradable PPE
- PPE recovery
- Biodegradable or compostable towels
- Composting certified compostable towels (w/ Green Salon Collective)
- Second-hand or refurbished equipment
- Equipment repair and maintenance
- Hair traps
- Funding for energy and water saving systems
- Air filtration systems
- Colour blending equipment
- Good ventilation
- Localised extraction equipment
- Air purifying plants
- Alternative non-toxic products
- Wastewater treatment systems
- Heat pumps
- Solar panels
- Recycled equipment
- Recycled metal foil
- Paperless scheduling and payments
- FSC certified packaging
- Recycled plastic products
- Bio-based products
- Recycled towels
- Greywater treatment systems
- WEEE take back services (e.g. hair dryers)
- Salon inventory software
- Energy efficient water heaters
- Heat energy recovery systems
- Energy efficient lighting
- Carbon management plans
- Hosting sustainability workshops (for community)
- Training to improve resource efficiency
- Pump dispensers
- Single paper towel dispensers
- Low flow aerators
- Water saving shower heads
- Training to improve general health and safety
- Workplace inspections to ensure health and safety
- Training to improve health and safety involving chemicals
- Training to improve health and safety involving sharps
- Training to improve workplace health and safety involving posture and repetitive movement
- Adaptation of workplace for pregnant hairdressers
- Ergonomic equipment and tools
- Ergonomic infrastructure
- Workforce breaks and time off