Earth Day is a day to consider our environmental footprint and how we all can use less natural resources. As a beauty professional, it can be difficult to account for things like water, electricity, and recycling while running a business and taking care of clients. That’s why ShearShare created a list of four easy tips for hosts and pros to become more sustainable in your profession without sacrificing service to your clients.
4 Tips for a More Sustainable Salon/Shop
- Recycle, Recycle, Recycle: Recycling is a huge part of decreasing your carbon footprint. Alongside the fashion industry, the beauty industry is one of the world’s most polluting. According to Euromonitor International, 152.1 billion units of beauty and personal-care packaging were sold globally in 2018 alone, much of which will never be recycled. Luckily, beauty companies are responding to rising awareness of waste with incentives for buyers. Some companies offer customers points for recycled items like Credo, some offer a gift like MAC, and some offer a percentage off your next purchase like L’Occitane en Provence. Being environmentally friendly also means knowing what NOT to recycle. Certain beauty products cannot be recycled due to the hazardous chemicals they contain. According to waste-management company Enviro-Safe, these items include hairspray, shampoos, nail polish and polish remover, hair dyes, and hair removal cream. Not sure if you can recycle the product? Look for a recycling code at the bottom of the item.
- Refillable & Reusable Products: If you want to decrease your carbon footprint, you should pay more attention to what products use recyclable, refillable, or reusable packaging. Luckily, more and more beauty companies are incorporating environmentally friendly packaging and refillable items into their repertoire of products. Companies like Innersense Organic Beauty, Kjaer Weis, and Alima Pure make beautification and sustainability easy with their lines of refillable products. There are also companies like Loop, that give customers the chance to buy products from their favorite companies while “renting” the packaging. Once the product runs out, Loop will send you a new product and you return the empty item to be cleaned and reused.
- Use What You Have: We’re all guilty of purchasing a product, use it for some time, and then move on to the next best thing. However, if you want to be a more sustainable beauty professional, discarding a product before using it in its entirety is not the way to go. Instead, refrain from buying anything new until you finish what you have. No longer want the product? Sell it or give it away! OfferUp and Facebook Marketplace are great options if you want to give your products a second home. Just make sure they aren’t used.
- Energy-Saving Practices:
- Use energy-efficient light bulbs – LED light bulbs help you save on your energy bill because they use less energy and last longer than incandescent bulbs. Also, if you are fortunate enough to live where the sun shines most days, avoid turning on the lights in your salon or shop until you have to. Natural light is a great way for clients to see your work and conserve energy.
- Conserve water usage – This can be as easy as turning the water off while washing a client’s hair or installing a refillable water station in your salon/shop. Another way to conserve water? Do less laundry. Only use the washing machine when you have a full load.
- Watch your electricity – Similar to your lights, if you aren’t using a tool, why turn it on? Turn off and unplug any unneeded tool at that moment. This goes for computers, coffee makers, and any other electrical source. Keep an evening checklist to help you remember these tips before you close down.
We hope these tips help you in your journey to becoming more eco-friendly at work and home. For more industry tips and tricks, visit our blog and follow us on social media. And if you haven’t yet, download our new app to join the #ShearSharecommunity!
