What does a sustainable hair salon look like and what can hairdressers do to work as environmentally friendly as possible? Anyone who has their hair cut or styled regularly and professionally knows that waste-producing disposable products, as well as high water and electricity consumption, are usually commonplace in the hairdressing trade. But the biggest environmental problems of our time make it essential that we find solutions.
Fortunately, there are one or two tips that hair salons with a sustainable philosophy can implement quickly and easily. In this article, you'll learn about ten of them. Either implement them yourself or try to convince the hairdressing staff you trust to bring about positive change. Let's go!
- Reduce waste
- Prefer fair, plant-based organic natural cosmetics
- Live paperless organization
- Use ecological equipment and materials
- Furniture and decoration upcycling
- Wear recycled capes and fair clothing
- Conserve natural resources
- Provide vegan drinks and snacks
- Offer sustainable trend products and hairstyles
- Use ecological paints
1. reduce waste
Whether plastic waste or paper waste - the waste-avoiding basic idea of the Zero Waste Lifestyle can also be implemented in the hair salon. Use reusable products instead of disposable ones! Plastic cups, plastic bottles and disposable paper towels have had their day - glasses, glass bottles and cloth towels are the much more sustainable and also more elegant alternative. Also Refillable containers for conditioners, shampoos or hairsprays save a lot of waste. And if you do end up with some waste, just make sure it's recycled.
2. give preference to fair, plant-based organic natural cosmetics
Conscious waste avoidance does not make a sustainable hair salon! Hairdressers with a green philosophy also offer products that are fairly produced, free from Animal testing and animal suffering - and of course purely organic are. Cosmetics with harmful substances, ammonia, parabens or based on genetic engineering are out of place.
Tip: I have given you in a separate blog post the best hair soaps picked out. Especially recommended is the firm rosemary shampoo from NICAMA. If you like, get it here*.
3. live paperless organization
Save paper, conserves the natural resource wood - and fortunately is also quite easy to implement in practice. For example, replace appointment cards with an e-mail to your customer or let him/her note the appointment in his/her own calendar. Even more effective, however, is the general switch to an paperless office, in which the entire Internal organization as digital as possible and without huge binders.
Tip: Another measure is the environmentally friendly organization of daily business. Whether it's a hair dryer or a straightener, the technology in the sustainable hair salon should run on electricity from renewable sources such as solar, hydro or wind power. A simple Switch to green electricity makes a decisive contribution to this.
4. use ecological equipment and materials
Whether it's a drying hood or a curling iron, the technology used should be durable and energy-efficient. So set on Quality goodsThe result is a product that will serve you for as long as possible and save a lot of energy at the same time thanks to its high energy efficiency class (A+++).
Wooden brushes and combs from sustainable forestry, hair scissors produced in Germany or hairdressing bags made of high-quality artificial leather instead of real animal leather are also valuable measures.
5. upcycle furniture and decoration
However, sustainable hairdressers can above all also talk about the Establishment of the hair salon (with their customers and in terms of sustainability). Ideally originate Tables, chairs, stools and counters from upcycling projects - for example, self-made or from local crafts nearby. Even "second hand" furniture can exude a really cool charm and make the salon something truly unique.
Tip: A facade green wall is a real eye-catcher and brings even more life into the salon.
6. wear recycled capes and fair clothing.
A uniform style of dress of the hairdressing team creates a coherent atmosphere and a familiar overall picture. For example, it is recommended that employees wear shirts made of organic cotton. Fairtrade should also play a decisive role in the choice of cutting capes and dyeing aprons. If you want to make your salon even more sustainable, try to use vegan and recycled products.
7. conserve natural resources
Dealing with natural resources contributes decisively to the ecological footprint of one's own hairdressing business. Fortunately, the ways to reduce it exist in abundance and don't stop at saving trash and paper. Here are a few suggestions:
- Light-flooded rooms and energy-saving lamps: If the salon lets in a lot of light anyway, the need to turn on the light also decreases. And if the light does need to be switched on, energy-saving lamps can help. In general, technical devices should be switched off when they are not needed.
- Water-saving showers and employee training: Water consumption in hair salons is usually very high. Low-flow regulators and water-saving showers, in combination with awareness-raising among employees, can effectively minimize actual water consumption in a salon's own operations.
- Shock ventilation and heating with temperature control: To save heating costs and protect the environment, it is worthwhile to use heating with temperature control in combination with regular, short bursts of ventilation instead of permanently tilted windows.
- Refill Station: Offer your customers the opportunity to refill their water bottles with tap water free of charge. This saves them having to buy expensive mineral water from privatized sources and contributes significantly to customer loyalty.
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Tip: There are really countless ways to Conserve resources. You can get a few more ideas in the linked post.
8. provide vegan snacks and drinks
Speaking of resource conservation, no foods eat up as many resources as animal foods. Why? Because fodder has to be grown, harvested and transported for cows, chickens or pigs so that humans can benefit from them. Purely plant-based, vegan foods avoid this "Detour animal" and at the same time also help to Stop world hunger.
So, a sustainable hair salon should offer animal-friendly, eco-friendly, vegan snacks. A cool and ecological addition is Tap water with taste - Mint or lemon are wonderful to add to Make tap water a little more palatable.
Tip: Why nutrition is not a private matterI will explain this in a separate article.
9. offer sustainable trend products and hairstyles
A good hairdressing salon is constantly up to date in all respects. Care cures can be mixed very well from natural ingredients - and tips can be sealed without chemical substances. When it comes to the products on offer, the basic rule is to give preference to fairly produced, purely plant-based, animal-free and organic ones.
10. use ecological paints
The hair colors and tints used should also be purely vegetable in a sustainable hair salon. Use for it simply Plant hair color with 100 percent gray covering natural colors. Whether matte and medium brown, radiant reflections or golden blonde - any desired hair color can also be created with gentle natural cosmetics.
Sustainable hair salon with a future!
Hairdressers who embrace environmental protection, resource conservation and sustainability make a real difference. Not only for our planet, but also in the competitive arena. Because sustainable and long-term oriented action is the future. By running a waste-avoiding, paperless salon with ecological products and material-saving furnishings, you make a decisive contribution to this.
Do you have any questions or further tips for environmentally conscious hairdressers? Then I look forward to your comment. I sincerely hope that this article will help the hairdressing trade to make a lasting impact.
Stay sustainable,
PS: By the way, gray hair can also look really good! In another article I show you now how you can grow old healthily and live as long as possible.
