Turning a salon into a green salon can be easily done with a few simple steps. Below I have listed 10 green salon business tips which should help your salon to incorporate new ideas on how to reduce your salon’s carbon footprint.
You may also be able to bring in a different breed of clientele by changing over to a “green salon” marketing strategy! You will also probably impress your current customers by the changes that you make.
1. Green Salons Recycle Used Foils
Throwing away used foils can create a lot of waste! Check on your local recycling programs to see if those foils can be recycled. They can in many areas around the country, and it usually depends on your county’s rules and regulations.
2. Green Salons Serve Drinks in Glasses, Not Paper or Styrofoam
If you serve complimentary drinks to your customers, then consider using real glasses instead of paper or Styrofoam cups. This can be a tough one though, because you are really trading off one ecological use for another. Sure, you might be reducing the amount of solid waste by doing away with paper or Styrofoam cups, but on the other hand you will now have to use the dishwasher every day or so, which will use up a good amount of water. And as we all know, clean water is also a very valuable resource that is becoming harder to find or procure. So you may need to think about this one first and search your soul.
3. Green Salons Use Washcloths, Not Paper Towels
Again, this may be a trade-off in the same way as switching from paper cups to real glass. You could save a good deal of solid waste by making a move to washcloths instead of paper towels, but you would end up using more water to wash them at the end of the day. Real washcloths would make your salon stand out more with a higher level of elegance however, so there is that extra added benefit. Instead of scratchy paper towels, your guests could luxuriate in soft washcloths. You will have to decide if it is a good option, or if saving more fresh water is a better way to keep or make your salon “green”.
4. Green Salons Recycle
This one goes without thinking, as it always sounds like a good idea to keep extra bins around the salon for both employees and customers to throw away their trash. You can recycle quite a few items, and given the option a person will usually throw the recyclables in the right basket. If your county isn’t into recycling yet, try donating the items to organizations or non-profits that do.
5. Green Salons have a No Paper Rule
Keep your salon green by getting rid of all paper, such as mail reminders and mailing advertisements! Try other methods, such as calling, texting, or emailing your clients about any upcoming promotions or specials. Also consider making a Facebook fan page. Staying current on Facebook is a great way to stay in touch with your clientele, and if you have a few cancellations one day you can offer those times up on Facebook to let someone else grab them!
6. Green Salons Recycle Hair
Hair recycling can be done in a couple of different ways. There are programs such as Locks of Love that accept long hair at least 8 or 10 inches long, which is used for making wigs for chemotherapy patients. But that still leaves a tremendous amount of hair leftover. As a matter of fact, that can all be donated too! A company called Matter of Trust is a group that takes hair donations from salons and uses it to make hair mats for use in absorbing oil from oil spills.
7. Green Salons use Fair Trade Coffee and Tea
Even though there is nothing technically “green” about this tip, it may impress some of your clientele! By using fair trade coffee and tea, you can make your salon “greener” in some people’s eyes. Fair trade products come from companies and organizations that pay the farmers a fair wage for their work.
8. Green Salons Carefully Choose the Product Lines they Carry
Also, carefully consider the product line that your salon promotes and sells. Check fair trade ingredients, organic ingredients and chemical free ingredients. You may want to start with a separate “green” line you want to introduce, even if you aren’t looking to change out your entire product collection. This will allow those who only “shop green” to purchase from you.
9. Green Salons Use Soy Candles and Recycle Them
You may want to consider using soy candles instead of paraffin and beeswax, since they last longer, are cheaper to make, and come from a renewable source. Look for local companies who melt down and recycle your used candles to make it even one-step greener.
10. Green Salons Consider Grown Some of their Own Spa Ingredients
Not every shop will consider this, but if your salon does spa treatments then consider making your own custom body scrubs and blends. If you do decide to go down that path, consider growing some of your own ingredients, such as lavender. It will help give your salon a more luxurious feel, knowing the treatment product was made with ingredients right from the land.