How to Become an Eco-Friendly Salon

August 15, 2023 SBS Hair 0 Comments

As a salon business owner, you have the power to make a positive impact on the environment. By making your salon eco-friendly, you contribute to a greener future and attract environmentally conscious customers. The beauty industry has a reputation for producing much waste and using harsh chemicals, making it one of the most environmentally damaging industries. But you have the opportunity to break this cycle and show your customers that you care about sustainability.

 In this blog, we'll guide you through the steps to transform your salon into an eco-friendly haven.

Assessing Your Salons Current Practices

Before you start making changes, assessing your current practices is important. Think of it as an environmental audit for your salon. You’ll need to analyse your salon’s current practices and identify areas where you can make improvements in your sustainability.

Take note of water and energy consumption, waste generation, product ingredients, to consider your overall carbon footprint. By understanding your salon’s environmental impact, you’ve found the foundation for creating a comprehensive sustainability plan.

Eco-Friendly Practices

Now you've assessed your current practices, it's time to implement eco-friendly measures. Let's explore some clear and concise steps to make your salon eco-friendly:

Switch to Eco-Friendly Products

The first thing you should do is ensure you use eco-friendly salon supplies that are organic, cruelty-free, and vegan. This ensures that you promote a more planet-friendly atmosphere, and you can inspire your clients to work these products into their daily routines.

To make sure that you are using environmentally conscious products, look for green certifications and labels such as:

• The Leaping Bunny Logo
• Choose Cruelty-Free Logo
• Certified Vegan Logo
• Vegan Society Logo
• Vegetarian Society Logo

It’s also important to mention that just because a product says that it’s cruelty-free, it may not be vegan and vice versa. Double-check the labels on the back of the bottles for any of the above logos.

At Salon Business Solutions, we stock a large range of professional vegan hair products and cruelty-free salon products, such as cruelty-free salon shampoo. An example of one of our products is the Hair Collective hair foils. This product comes in various sizes, from a Pop Up 13cm x 28cm in Silver to the Roll 13cm x 97.5cm in blush matt. Sourced with sustainability in mind using recycled materials; this product is available for our trade customers.

Sounds interesting? You can create a professional trade account with us today and view a wider range of cruelty-free and vegan products.

Go Digital

It would be beneficial to go digital to reduce the amount of paper you are using. When scheduling appointments, sending receipts, or promoting your salon’s services, utilise email marketing and social media. Another way to go paperless is to encourage your customers to book appointments online or through an app. How you implement these ideas into your salon is up to you.

We pride ourselves at Salon Business Solutions on our sustainable, plastic-free packaging and paperless invoicing. It has been such an easy change, and you can do it too!

Reducing Energy Consumption

Now that you've implemented eco-friendly practices in your eco salon, it's time to focus on reducing energy consumption.

1. Upgrade salon equipment: Invest in energy-efficient appliances and tools, such as hair dryers, curling irons, and refrigerators, to reduce energy consumption.
2. Optimise HVAC systems: Regularly maintain and tune up your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to enhance energy efficiency.
3. Use smart power strips: Plug salon equipment into smart power strips that automatically shut off power when devices are not in use.

Minimising Waste

Another crucial aspect of creating an eco salon is minimising waste, as the beauty industry generates significant waste, from product packaging to hair clippings. Adopting sustainable waste management practices can reduce your salon's environmental impact; you might be surprised to hear you can recycle almost all salon waste. Here are some practical tips:

1. Product recycling containers: Provide designated recycle bins for your staff to dispose of plastic, foil and metals, paper, hair, and chemicals. You can also implement plastic and paper bins for your clients.
2. Use refillable products: It might be a foreign concept in many salons, but having a refillable station can reduce the amount of plastic used. You can also offer products in more sustainable packaging, such as paper bags or cardboard boxes.
3. Switch to eco-friendly cleaning supplies: You can replace chemical-based cleaning products with eco-friendly alternatives.
4. Donate usable items: If you have renovated your salon or updated furniture, consider donating them to local charities or organisations rather than throwing away anything. Anything that can be seen as salon professional, hair dryers, unopened styling products, and brushes, for example.

Collaboration and Community Involvement

Creating an eco-friendly salon is not just about the physical changes you make within your business. It's also about fostering a sense of community and collaboration. At Salon Business Solutions, we made it our mission to work with our clients and staff to promote sustainability in salons and give those salons the knowledge to make a difference.

We can provide you with some ideas on ways that you can improve your own collaboration and involvement in the community.

Partner with Local Charities and Organisations

We work with several different charities, such as the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) and Haircuts4Homeless. Connecting with local charities and organisations can raise awareness and also promote a more sustainable way of living. If you want to do this with your salon, some ideas you can incorporate include hosting joint events, fundraisers, or workshops.

Educate Clients and Staff

Working with our clients and staff is important to us; we want to take every opportunity to educate them on the importance of eco-friendly practices. That is why we organise workshops or seminars through our website. These courses cover a wide range of topics, from customer care to specialist techniques, hair loss to salon business mastery. They are brilliant opportunities to expand your knowledge and learn new skills.  We have more information on salon education for you to peruse at your own pleasure, including a detailed educational brochure featuring all of the available courses and the prices.

Stepping into an Eco-Friendly Future

By taking eco-friendly measures, salon business owners protect the environment and attract a growing population of eco-conscious customers. From switching to energy-efficient lighting to donating usable items, these steps are clear and easy to implement.

Here at Salon Business Solutions, we are proud to stock an extensive collection of sustainable and eco-friendly salon products, such as our cruelty-free hair products and vegan hair products. We pride ourselves on providing a wide range of professional hair care brands suitable for all hair types regardless of ethnicity, age, or gender.