We recently discussed veganism and its growing popularity and demand within the salon industry. In our article: ‘Is your salon vegan-friendly?‘ we introduced you to some of the fantastic vegan salon supplies available here at Salons Direct including Trillion Tones hair colour and Refectocil. Offering vegan treatments and products within your salon business can be one great way to make your salon more environmentally friendly.
Another way is exploring how you can make your salon more eco-friendly and sustainable. Did you know that “The typical salon can use up to 40,000kWhs of electricity per year, costing a sum of £4,000!”* It’s no surprise that more and more salon businesses are looking to make their salon more eco-friendly in 2019. If you’d like to do the same, here are a few steps you can take.
How to make your salon business more eco-friendly & sustainable…
Saving energy in your salon
Saving energy in your salon is not only better for the environment, but it is also an opportunity to increase your own profit margins by reducing unnecessary energy wastage that you’d otherwise be paying for. If you don’t have one already, start by asking your energy supplier to install a smart meter in your salon. With a smart meter, you’ll be able to track energy costs which will help you to budget for your electricity bill more efficiently. You’ll be able to clearly see when energy is being wasted – perhaps it’s electrical equipment or lighting that is being left on overnight?
Heating and water usage
You may be thinking about refreshing your salon interior, you could even be considering a 2019 refurbishment? If this sounds like you, investing in more energy efficient lighting solutions or triple glazed windows is a great way to make a long term effort to reduce energy wastage. It’s a good idea to check your lighting efficiency anyway, after all, your salon is open all day and needs to be well lit so that your staff can do their jobs properly. Switch to energy saving bulbs, you won’t compromise on luminosity, they’re much more cost effective to run and last much longer than ordinary bulbs.
And finally, have you considered your boiler? Ensure that you are operating an energy efficient boiler – if you are already, you could look at other ways of saving energy and water such as fitting low-flow taps or flow regulators.
Discover: How to refresh your salon interior on a tight budget
Other ways to be more sustainable in your salon…
- You could choose to stock and use more products that are available in biodegradable or recyclable packaging. You could even go one step further and offer your clients a biodegradable or reusable bag when they purchase retail products from you. These are all great ways to cut down on plastic.
- Set up an easy to access recycling area for both clients and staff to recycle any plastic, paper or cans.
- Get in touch with your local council to see if they have any schemes that would help you to reduce any salon waste destined for the landfill site. Ask them about the best way to dispose of tubes that have contained chemicals and foil.
- Opt to use green cleaning products within your salon.
- Use water at a slightly lower temperature when hair washing and rinsing.
- Go paper free! Use an online database to store client information and appointments and use social media for your marketing efforts. If you need to use paper, ensure you print double-sided, and be sure to recycle when you’re finished with it!
When it comes to taking steps to make your salon more environmentally friendly you don’t have to do everything in one go. Start by taking small incremental steps and you’ll gradually become more and more sustainable. Market yourself as a salon trying to do their bit for the environment, you’d be surprised how many people will be interested in your business because of this.
Good luck on your journey to becoming more sustainable!
Time for more from Salons Direct?
Discover these vegan-friendly brands:
Pulp Riot launches in the UK at SD! | Give the perfect pedicure with Voesh | Introducing Trillion Tones
