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While some people may mistakenly view beauty salons as being focused purely on exteriors – in other words, all style and no substance – the truth is that a number of salon owners are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious. As a result, more beauty businesses are embracing upcycling, recycling, and finding ways to cut down on their carbon footprint.
If you run your own salon and you are also eager to find ways to do your part for the planet, then you’ve come to the right place. With dramatic changes in our weather becoming more frequent and more worrying, there’s never been a better time to focus on ways to make your beauty business more sustainable.
Keen to get started? Read on for some simple but effective techniques you can use to make your beauty salon more eco-friendly, while still remaining a place where style, beauty, and camaraderie go comfortably hand in hand.
How To Run A Chic And Sustainable Beauty Salon
1. Buy Organic High-Quality Textiles
Every beauty salon needs to have a ready supply of towels to wrap around customers’ heads and shoulders.
When it comes to choosing your salon towels, it pays to look for high-quality organic textiles. Not only will they look and feel superior to cheaper options, but they will also be much more durable and last a lot longer.
This means you won’t have to replace your towels so often, and that will not only benefit your bank balance, it will also help the environment, as it means fewer textiles being sent to the landfill. You can find premium organic towels for your salon by checking out this high quality range from The Towel Shop, available in six eye-catching colours.
2. Upcycle Your Furnishings
When it comes to kitting out your salon, one of the best ways to benefit the environment is to upcycle, or to purchase recycled items. This can include everything from your salon chairs and vanity units, to your display shelves, storage units, and reception desk. You’d be surprised how many stylish and functional furniture items can be sourced from charity shops or second-hand apps and sites.
You could even ask your salon neighbours or customers if they have any unwanted items that you could use.
3. Set Up Your Own Refilling Station
If you’re really committed to helping save the planet, then you may want to consider setting up your own refill station or bar, where your customers can come to top up their bottles of shampoo and conditioner. How you manage this station is up to you; you could charge a small fee or offer clients a discount on their hair cuts or colours to incentivise them to refill.
Chances are, your customers will jump at the chance to be able to take part in your eco-friendly initiative. So not only will the refill station be good for your business, it will also raise your standing in the eyes of your clients – and, of course, it will help the environment.
4. Make Some Simple Changes To Benefit The Planet
While big, bold actions certainly have their place in the fight to combat climate change and the many environmental threats our natural world faces, there is also a place for smaller actions too. Even making a few simple swaps in your salon can help to make a difference.
For instance, you can set up dedicated recycling bins for items such as packaging, metal, chemical waste, and even hair. You can also research affordable but sustainable property saloon products and use them instead of bigger brand names that have been found to ‘greenwash’ rather than actually making any significant contribution to saving the planet.
5. Be Part Of The Discussion
Sometimes, one of the most effective ways to do your part for the planet is to simply become another voice in the climate change discussion. Beauty salons are known for being a place where people can come for a chat and share their views and opinions. Take the opportunity to share your eco-friendly ideas and educate your customers on the importance of doing their part to help the natural world.
You can offer them some helpful tips and tricks they can easily include in their daily lives, or perhaps even invite them to join you at special events, such as a beach clean or a rubbish-cleaning session in your local park or woodland.
As well as helping to spread the word about how vital it is to help the planet, you may also find yourself forming some valuable customers.
6. Join Forces With Other Eco-Friendly Salons
Last but not least, it can help to form allegiances with other sustainable salons, both in your local area and across the UK. Joining a programme such as the Green Salon Collective can help to give you the motivation and the knowledge to keep making sustainable, planet-friendly changes in the daily running of your salon.
It will also give you a valuable sense of community and camaraderie that will help you to stay focused on your all-important environment-saving goals.
