How to run a sustainable salon
From sourcing local products and reducing waste to implementing energy-efficient technologies, salon owners can make impactful changes that benefit both the planet and their business. Jennie Lawson, owner of sustainable salon Mimosa Beauty, explains how to make some easy changes.
I became interested in sustainability because I’ve been scuba diving for 24 years, and in that time I’ve watched what humans have done to the ocean and how much rubbish is in the water.
So, when I was setting up my salon, I wanted to make sure that every decision was made through a lens of sustainability, and that we were innovating with sustainability in mind.
If you want to make changes to your salon’s daily operations to become more sustainable, it helps to look at the small things and to focus on longevity rather than recyclability.
How to make your salon more sustainable
Go digital: Putting all your business’s information online reduces paper use – even prices are only visible on our website.
Evaluate your electricity: If you’re not using something or you’re shutting up the salon for the night, make sure everything is switched off. Also consider switching to LED lights and using timers.
Choose your products wisely: I use either UK-based brands or small brands so that I know everything is being made in small batches and is traceable. Buying local and in bulk also means that we’re reducing the carbon footprint of shipping and packaging.
Look at your recycling: My salon uses a landfill-free recycling company, Green Recycling, which means that every single thing we put into our bins gets reused in some way and not one item goes to a landfill; not even the wax. This costs £89 a month but realistically that’s only an hour of my time in the salon, which is worth the peace of mind knowing that nothing is going to landfill – as is actually often the case with local council recycling.
Encourage bring-back schemes: If clients bring back their product to be recycled by us, they get 5% off their next purchase in the salon and we can be sure it’s being recycled properly.
Think about towels: There is a big discussion in the industry regarding washing towels or using disposable towels, but I make decisions based on lifecycle and longevity – so I’ve had the same towels for seven years and wash them in-house. We also use eco-friendly washing machines and eco-friendly washing powder.
Ditch the magazines: Instead of having magazines in the waiting area we have a library with books so that we don’t need to keep replacing and recycling magazines, which reduces paper consumption.
Down to the décor: We have environmentally friendly soundproofing on the walls, which are decorated with eco-friendly colour-matched paints. Our floors are also designed with the environment in mind, with sustainably sourced laminate throughout the salon. When we moved salon locations, we also retained 90% of the furnishings from the old salon.
