Creating an Earth-First Salon

The Top Tips for a More Sustainable Salon, Shop, or Spa

So, you’ve caught onto that whole go-green thing, huh?

Listen, we’re glad to hear it. Because if we haven’t mentioned it before (and we totally have, BTW), sustainability in the salon isn’t just a hot trend–it’s a necessary step toward helping our planet.

But here’s the secret about sustainability: Being sustainable isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon. And committing to being sustainable means making a dedicated, non-stop effort, probably for the rest of your cosmetology life.

The good news? We can help. We’re big into the sustainable salon movement, and we’re hyped to help you kickstart your journey, too. That’s why we’ve put together a few must-know moves to get started.

This list is just the start. We’ve even got another go-to listicle that’ll help you take even more action toward a more sustainable salon, spa, or shop! Check out our post on how to make your salon sustainable ASAP, too–but first, give this a read!

Five Must-Try Tips for an Earth-First Salon

Swap Out Your Shower Heads

Yep, you heard us–those faucets and shower heads you’ve been using aren’t doing the earth any favors–because they’re not saving water.

It might be a touch costly, but if you find a shower head that’s awesome on water pressure and helps to reduce water usage, you can make massive changes with one small cost.

(Pssst take a peek at brands like ECOHEADS, which can save up to 65% of the water used per day)

Focus on Sustainable Products

Part of sustainability is smart consumerism. That means not just reading a label and getting the vibe that a product is sustainable–it means doing the research and necessary digging to find out what this version of sustainability actually means.

Think about opting for products behind your back bar and in your shop for your customers that are made sustainably, are made ethically, and reduce waste. But most of all, try to adopt a shop critically attitude when it comes to all the things you bring into your salon, spa, or shop.

Go Carbon Neutral

A great way to focus on an earth-first shop is to go carbon neutral. It sounds complicated, right? Don’t worry–at the core of it; it’s not that challenging.

Do the math and calculate your carbon footprint.

Then, figure out what you need to do to offset that footprint. There are a lot of different ideas for how you can do that in your personal life, but often, in business, that will include opting for practices like:

• Composting
• Buying in bulk to reduce one-use containers
• Conducting an energy audit
• Swapping out incandescent bulbs for LEDs

But you can also participate in carbon offsetting practices like donating to organizations like terrapass that will plant trees to offset your carbon consumption.

There are tons of software options and companies out there that can assist you with this! (P.S. Check out places like Carbon Credit Capital for more help with better understanding your carbon footprint and how to become carbon neutral).

Turn off Your Tools

Yeah, it’s that easy sometimes. If you really want to start your sustainability journey small but powerful, opt for taking a stroll through the salon every hour or so and just unplugging what’s not being used.

Why? Because even if the draw is super low, you’re still drawing power when things are plugged in–when you audit what’s happening in your salon with a quick walk-through, you can reduce the draw substantially.

Want to take it to totally new heights? Swap out your old, energy-consuming appliances for newer, more eco-friendly ones. Do your research and find the washers, dryers, hot styling tools, etc., that use less energy and work even better than your current selection.

Cut the Dryer Out of the Equation

We’re probably going to say this every single time about sustainability. Why? Because it’s such a small thing that can make such a huge difference.

Doubtful about how to make a difference in your pro-earth shop? Here are four go-to words that fit every scenario: line dry your laundry.

Save your dryer for those days when you didn’t plan and need new towels, stat. Shoot for a majority of the time spent line drying.

Looking for more tips? We’ve got you.

From swapping out your salon cleaning products for sustainable options to taking the big leap into green philanthropy, there’s always more that can be done to put our beautiful earth first.

Want to stay up to date on tips and tricks that can take your sustainable salon to new heights?

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