You may be surprised to learn that the salon industry sends more than 1,500 tons of recyclable aluminium back to landfill each year in Australia and New Zealand alone. That’s one and a half million kilos, about 715 cars, or four jumbo
jets! Unfortunately aluminium doesn’t degrade easily, it actually contaminates the soil for 500 years. Add to this the waste of plastics, colour tubes, cut hair and more, and you soon see that beauty at any price is no longer an option.
After joining Sustainable Salons, local salon Beautify Hair Design is set to change all this.
Now recycles 95% of its waste by using the comprehensive resource recovery program offered by Sustainable Salons.
“We are committed to sustainable growth that encourages social responsibility and respect for the planet. This simple initiative can make all the difference to what was once landfill waste become a future resource”, says Dana Kovacic, owner of Beautify Hair Design
Rather than contaminating the waterways, excess chemical waste now go to a chemical recycler to be neutralised into recycled water used in construction and roadworks. Plastics are also recycled into outdoor furniture and underground sheeting to protect the NBN.
What’s more, Beautify Hair Design staff love that all proceeds from recycling are donated to OzHarvest and KiwiHarest to fund meals for disadvantaged people – Sustainable Salons donates more than 2,000 meals every
month! Collected ponytails are redirected to charitable wig-making services and organisations to provide wigs for those suffering from alopecia or cancer, while cut hair is made into Hair Booms used in oil-spill clean-up operations.
As clients become more aware of the impact products have on the environment, they have also welcomed the opportunity to make a difference.
“The salon industry needs to take action now, and take care of the environment as much as we take care of clients”, says Paul Frasca, co-founder and Managing Director of Sustainable Salons.“ Dana Kovacic really cares about making their
salon as eco-friendly as possible. When they looked at what they could do to become more sustainable ecologically and economically, Sustainable Salons was the obvious choice.”
The Sustainable Salons Network is committed to reducing its ecological footprint, supporting charitable causes and implementing environmentally-sustainable practices in all that we do. Here’s what we’ve achieved on our journey to zero
waste!*
This information reflects Sustainable Salons activities from Feb 2015 – Nov 2017.