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6 TIPS FOR SUSTAINABLE SALON DESIGN

In order to have a sustainable salon, it's vital that your team are well-informed, and can contribute to your salon's success. Here are some easy ways to share sustainable salon ideas with your team so you can continue to up your sustainability game!

Keeping up to date on sustainability

The earth's natural resources are air, water, soil, minerals, fuels, plants, and animals. Sustainable practices care for these resources so all living things can benefit from them now and in the future. It's vital that we keep up-to-date with the latest sustainable practices so we can do our bit! Here's how...

We can keep up with the latest information by researching trends, reading articles, and checking out what others are doing via social media.

Not only can social media be used for finding new tips; it can also be used for sharing your own ideas on sustainability. This means your salon will always be evolving, and you will be supporting others as your salon improves!

Extra steps I take in my salon:

Green Salon Collective has a stylist waste and emissions calculator on their website. This is a handy tool that helps you to understand the impact you have on the environment when you become zero to landfill and start recycling. Check it out here.

You can also sign up to Trash Talk, their weekly Newsletter to stay informed about what’s hot and what’s not when it comes to salon sustainability.

Finally, I hold regular staff training sessions so everybody knows their part in keeping the salon sustainable. Staff can then pass on their knowledge to clients, bringing the sharing of new ideas full circle.

Communication - Talking about sustainability

Open communication with your team is super important when it comes to sharing ideas about sustainability.
You can do this by holding regular meetings / training / education sessions, where everyone is encouraged to contribute their thoughts.

In these meetings, you can explain to staff members the importance of even the small details such as turning off appliances when they’re not in use. Be sure to explain why they need to make these changes. For example, if you're asking them to air dry the towels instead of using a tumble drier, explain that you are doing this to reduce your carbon footprint (read more about this below). Informing your staff will empower them to make those all-important positive changes. You can also encourage them to share ideas either openly or through Facebook polls and WhatsApp groups.

Extra steps I take in my salon:

Mirror Talkers are a wonderful way for us to communicate the message of sustainability to our clients. Mirror Talkers are stickers that we put on our mirrors, which include a short sentence about sustainability. They also have a QR code to use so stylists and clients can get more information on that particular subject. They provide easy tips and are a great way to engage clients in conversation. They are also handy for stylists as they help us to be more confident when talking about sustainability - we can simply scan the QR code and grow in knowledge alongside our clients.

What is your carbon footprint?

Carbon footprint is simply the amount of greenhouse gases we emit into the atmosphere through our lifestyle choices. Positive lifestyle choices include: Switching to renewable energy, driving less, choosing eco-friendly products and companies, and eating less meat and dairy.

What are greenhouse gases?

Greenhouse gases are atmospheric gases that can trap the sun’s heat. This can lead to the warming of the earth's surface. We need a certain amount of greenhouse gases, otherwise the earth would be covered with ice. But we have now increased their concentration, and the result is global warming. This is why we need to think about our lifestyle choices and make positive changes wherever we can.

Energy Saving Tips

Create a salon plan with energy savings tips and get the whole team involved. Contact your energy provider and see if they have any ideas on how you can reduce your energy usage as well as calculate your carbon footprint to see if you can improve it. These plans will get you one step closer to reaching your sustainability goals. Reducing how much energy you use not only means your bills will be lower but also means you’re being more sustainable.

Here are some examples of the small changes you can make, that will make a big difference:

1) Air drying, not tumble drying can save up to £62 per year.

2) Turning down heating by just 1 degree can save up to £99 per year.

3) Lighting makes up around 11% of typical power bills. LEDs save 70-80% electricity, and also saves £5-£13 per bulb, per year.

4) Switching off lights when leaving the room can save up to £20 per year.

Have you heard about ‘phantom energy’? This is energy that is still being used by equipment that is plugged in but not in use. Phantom energy is a huge and completely avoidable waste.

Here’s a list of ‘always-on’ devices used in the salon that drain energy:

▪️Coffee makers
▪️Laptop chargers
▪️Microwaves
▪️Security cameras
▪️Televisions
▪️Surround sound systems
▪️Stereos/Speakers
▪️Computers/Printers/Monitors
▪️Cordless landline phones
▪️Battery chargers
▪️Mobile phone chargers

We turn ours off at the end of each day to save energy.

How we save energy at Bliss Salon

There are so many simple ways to save energy in the salon. Here are some of the things we do to save energy at Bliss:

1⚡We do not let hot water taps run when not being used. Did you know that using hot water is the most energy intensive thing we do? It’s easy to forget when we’re using the basins and washing hair, but we try our best to remember to turn our taps off as soon as we’ve finished using them.

2⚡We turn off lights when they’re not needed. This is such a simple, yet effective way to save energy.

3⚡We swapped halogen and incandescent bulbs for low-energy LED bulbs. After much research, we chose to install a low energy LED spotlight system throughout the salon. We also installed two beautiful chandeliers and had them fitted with energy efficient light tubes and bulbs, which lowered our usage and consumption.

4⚡We switched energy provider to one that solely supplies renewable energy. The Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin scheme lets consumers know exactly how much electricity from a supplier comes from renewable sources. Check it out!

5⚡We choose energy efficient equipment with a good energy star rating. This is another great source of information.

6⚡We switched to Ecoheads for your backwash to reduce our water consumption up to 65%. This has been a massive energy saver for us.

7⚡We wait until you have a full load of salon towels to wash. It can be tempting to throw in a few towels at a time, but we know we’re doing the right thing by waiting until we have a full load.

8⚡We also wash our towels on a lower heat and use a high spin to help with drying.

9⚡Instead of using the tumble dryer, which uses immense amounts of energy, we let towels air dry overnight on an airer.

10⚡We also try to use one towel per client in the salon to reduce energy usage and be more environmentally friendly.

Encourage your team to look out for any ways you can help improve the salon's energy efficiency and ask them to share their thoughts on improving current practices whenever they can.

Involve your team in your salon design

Work with your team when making changes to your salon aesthetics, and ask them to consider the use of sustainable materials in salon design. Specifically, you can talk about air pollution and how to improve air quality with plants.

Oxygen from plants counteracts carbon dioxide emissions as well as making your salon more attractive. Potted plants will be natural air purifiers and reduce indoor air pollution. If you have the space, a roof garden is great as well. It produces natural insulation and improves the outdoor air quality. To be as sustainable as possible, make sure to water plants in the evening to avoid evaporation.

Educating

your team on

product choice

Using sustainable products helps the environment no end. This is a worthwhile investment that you won’t regret. Explaining why you use the products you do gives your team knowledge, and they can share it with their clients.

Using colours and styling products with a high percentage of naturally derived ingredients means that these are not only kinder for your clients' hair and scalp, but also kinder on the environment. Think about the contents of the products and what gets washed away into our waterways!

Purchasing clean products reduces the amount of toxic chemicals going down the drain and can be healthier for your clients. By educating yourself and your staff on different products and what to look out for you can improve your salon sustainability massively. The more natural, non toxic, paraben and sulphate free the better.

On Nature's Side

You can also switch your salon cleaning products and disinfectants to a natural cleaner. We use On Nature's Side by the Green Salon Collective. On Nature's Side is completely non-toxic, natural, and free from any harmful chemicals like alcohol, parabens, and dyes, so you don't have to sacrifice your health, or the planet's health. It is a revolutionary product that's 100% biodegradable and is a highly effective biocide formulated from only natural ingredients. It is effective against 99.995% of known micro-organisms. This replaces harmful, toxic chemicals such as barbicide. It is gentle on skin contact, so you can use it on all salon tools, combs, scissors, surfaces, floors, and seating without worrying about any adverse effects or harsh chemicals affecting your clients.

Bonus tip:

At Bliss, we also offer an extra refill service for clients to refill their shampoo and conditioner bottles. This reduces plastic waste and encourages clients to reuse their bottles to get a refill at a reduced rate.