Hair Salon Ideas for Becoming an Eco-Friendly Hair Salon

With more and more salons choosing sustainable values, it is great to see positive change in the hair industry. But it can be tricky to pick the right eco-friendly changes to make in your salon. Here are some sustainable work practices in hairdressing and barbering to help.

Why Opt to Go Greener?

Did you know that hair salons and barbershops are currently one of the biggest polluters on the high street? This is likely not a shock when considering the amount of waste that is generated every day in a single salon that is destined to end up in a landfill, on top of the large amounts of water and energy used daily. 

However, choosing to adopt more eco-friendly business practices is not just an ethical choice, but also a smart business move. So far in 2021, 32% of consumers are highly engaged in adopting a more sustainable lifestyle, and this figure is continuing to grow. 

Therefore, by opting to go greener, you are making a positive impact on the environment whilst opening your customer base to those with sustainable values. It’s a win-win to be an eco-friendly salon!

Environmentally Sustainable Work Practices in Hairdressing and Barbering: What Can You Do?

1. Turn your salon’s waste into recycling 

There is no denying that salons produce a lot of waste. We pour toxic hair colour down the drain, as well as throwing out hair foils and colour tubes into regular bins. Even valuable hair cuttings are disposed of! 

Unfortunately, reducing the amount of waste produced would mainly mean reducing your number of clients. However, there is a way to keep business booming whilst maintaining eco-friendly values.

Green Salon Collective can provide you with a way to recycle all of your salon waste! They recycle, compost and recover: 

• Hair cuttings
• Used foils
• Empty colour tubes
• Chemicals
• PPE
• Plastic and paper
• Salon towels

Your salon can stop producing waste instantly, which is a huge step for all salons to take to become sustainable. Start recycling your waste with Green Salon Collective here.

2. Incorporate organic hair products into your offering

You know as experts that there are simply some products that need chemicals in order to give your clients the best results.

However, where possible, it is always good to have a range of organic hair products on-hand. These will reduce the amount of toxic chemicals that go down the drain, and can also do wonders for your client’s hair.

An excellent choice of organic products is Oway. Not only are their products organic and cruelty-free, but they come in bottles made of amber glass with aluminium caps that are 100% recyclable. So, you can have organic products that reduce your consumption of single-use plastics too!

3. Use sustainable and eco-friendly hair tools

Finding high-quality hair tools that are also sustainable can feel like a mission, but there are many eco-friendly options out there that can seriously upgrade your sustainable status.

Hair foils are one of those products that you use hundreds of times each day in the salon. But foil can actually take around 400 years to decompose, and also needs a lot of energy to make. 

Paper Not Foil is the perfect way to reduce and reuse in the salon. It can be reused up to 3 times and then recycled, plus, 27 sheets can be made from the same energy it takes to make one sheet of aluminium foil.

We might be biased, but another hair tool that has plenty of sustainable options are our Leaf Scissors. We have a range of scissors to suit any hairdresser’s or barber’s needs, and we plant trees for every pair sold, helping you to offset your carbon emissions!

4. Lower your water and energy use

Hair salons tend to use huge amounts of water and energy, which is not only bad for the environment, but can also make your bills skyrocket. 

A great way to reduce your energy use is with energy-efficient lightbulbs. These still allow you to have the flawless lighting you need to create amazing hair, but will allow you to reduce your energy consumption.

Additionally, water is, of course, an essential in every salon. However, there is a way to majorly reduce how much you use on a daily basis. Eco Heads Shower Heads reduce both water and energy consumption by up to 65%, whilst also increasing the water pressure so you can get hair done faster!

5. Keep up to date with sustainability news in the industry

The beauty of the hair industry is that it is always changing, so keeping up to date is absolutely necessary to improve your salon’s sustainability. You can keep up to date using articles, looking out for trends and speaking to your team.

However, if you want sustainability updates all in one place, our LEAF Academy is ideal for you. You can learn about sustainability in the hair industry, as well as access hair tutorials and expert knowledge.

6. Nobody's perfect

We understand that it is not always possible to have a sustainable solution to everything and that’s okay! 

You can only do your best to take on new products and business practices and do your part for the hair industry.

You can also consider offsetting your emissions. For example, by planting trees with the Eden Reforestation Project. 

If we all work together and do what we can, the hair industry can be so much more eco-friendly.

At Leaf Scissors, we take pride in being part of the success of professional hairdressers. We not only provide scissors designed by and for professionals but also commit to offering valuable resources and knowledge to boost your business. We hope this content has inspired you and helped you achieve your professional goals. We will continue to share valuable information to reinforce your presence in the beauty sector.