Salon owners interested in practicing their craft more sustainably have no shortage of options, and contrary to popular belief, making small changes has a big impact. We’ve highlighted a few of these options below, but utilizing more sustainable business practices is about more than promoting the salon as an environmental steward or doing your part as a business owner; salon owners who take an environmentally friendly approach to business learn some surprising lessons along the way.

Ways to Reduce the Salon’s Environmental Footprint

As mentioned, there are endless ways salons can be more environmentally friendly and they don’t have to break the bank. Start by checking out some of the ideas here:

Partner With an Environmentally Friendly Distributor

First and foremost, partner with an environmentally friendly salon product distributor. This is the easiest way to ensure that the products you choose to invest in (and encourage your clients to invest in) meet the grade when it comes to sustainability.

Salon Only Sales makes green procurement easy through our rigid standards in selecting brands to represent. We’ve also partnered with Green Circle Salons to ensure we exceed industry standards in environmental stewardship.

Create a list of potential distributors to partner with and decide what is most important to you as a business owner.

Reduce Resource Consumption

Reducing the consumption of critical resources such as water and energy is an obvious, but often-overlooked way to reduce the environmental footprint of a salon. Consider implementing some (or all) of the following techniques to reduce resource consumption:

• Replace lighting with more energy-efficient LED lights.
• Install motion-activated lights that shut off after a period of inactivity.
• Use other motion-activated devices such as paper towel dispensers and faucets.
• Opt for a hand dryer over paper towels to cut down on paper use.
• Avoid vendors that use excessive packaging.

Recycle, Recycle, Recycle

Recycling is an easy way to be more environmentally friendly. Implement an in-salon recycling program to ensure old bottles and plastic tools don’t go to a landfill. Promote recycling to clients by offering a discount on services or retail products in exchange for their used bottles.

Remember that recycling isn’t just about plastic; glass, paper, cardboard, and even some foils are also recyclable.

What You’ll Learn

Working more sustainably will result in a few unintended, but welcome changes and realizations:

It Will Spread to Your Personal Life
Change at work often facilitates change at home. Regularly thinking about how your actions impact the environment at work will quickly trickle into your personal life, causing you to think about what changes you can make at home to be a better inhabitant of the planet.

You Can Get by on Less Than You Think

It might seem awkward at first, but you will soon realize that you don’t need nearly as much as you think. Choosing thoughtful reuse alternatives (such as a whiteboard calendar instead of paper) and making a habit out of conserving resources will quickly become a habit and you’ll realize you can easily and comfortably get by with less. You’ll also start noticing other areas in your life where you can cut back on unnecessary waste.

You’ll Appreciate More

On the same token, getting by on less allows you to appreciate when you do have more—both in terms of material objects and resources, as well as on a more abstract level. Using resources more thoughtfully just feels good and gives you an appreciation for everything around you.

You’ll Feel Like You’re Doing Your Part

It might sound cliché, but contributing to a greater cause, even in a small way, is incredibly fulfilling. You’ll feel like you’re doing your part and working with others to leave a lasting impact.

You’ll Raise Awareness

By working and living more sustainably, you’ll send a message to clients and those around you that sustainability is important and easy to incorporate into our everyday lives.

Salon owners have a lot of options available to them when it comes to reducing their environmental footprint. By making changes such as reducing waste and choosing more sustainable partners, salon owners will not only find themselves making a difference to their environment, but to themselves as well.

Salon Only Sales works hard to spread the message of environmental stewardship and we’d love for you to join us in the journey toward a more eco-friendly future. Shop with us for the best in sustainable beauty brands.