The 10-year Eco Hair and Beauty project has shown hairdressers are in a unique place to affect their clients’ hair care routines. Their survey of 800 customers found most customers value this kind of advice and adapt their hair care practices at home.
The hairdressing sector uses vast amounts of hot water, energy and chemicals. Working with industry organisations: Green Salon Collective, Habia and the Vocational Training Charitable Trust, the project embedded sustainable practices across the hairdressing sector.
Free fun resources in a virtual salon provide stylists with sustainable training and a certificate on completion. Hairdressers talk to many people as part of their job, so they are ideally placed to pass on advice such as:
- shampooing less often
- washing hair once rather than rinse and repeat
- reducing blow drying
These tips save time and energy, which is good for hair, bills, and the planet.
Sparking conversations
Mirror Talkers resulted from the partnership with Green Salon Collective to add eco-tips on salon mirrors. The easy tips spark conversations between stylists and their clients.
Some tips are questions such as, ‘Should you shampoo less?' Others are statements such as ‘Running hot water is th most expensive and energy-intensive activity we do in our homes.’
Mirror Talkers
The real impact of hairdressers is in the way that they can affect their clients’ behaviour. Hot water is the most energy intensive activity you do in the home. Turning the hot tap off is going to make the difference.
World-wide impact
Since 2016, more than 300 salons and approximately 5,000 stylists in 14 countries have gained the research-based Sustainable Salon Certification.
Water-scarce countries such as Mauritius and Malta use adapted Water Sustainability training resources.
Adopting the changes required for certification saves an average salon 286000 litres of water and 24150 kilowatt hours of energy every year. This leads to an estimated collective annual saving of more than £1.5 million for 141 certified salons.
We believe a more subtle, yet important outcome of your project has been towards creating a more professional culture across the sector, which helps to raise the status of the profession. Training the lecturers, developing certification and influencing the National Occupational Standards means that the impact of this project will last long after your particular project has come to an end.
Fife College
