Tease Hair Boutique is Officially a Green Circle Salon

We are excited to announce that as of late 2024, Tease Hair Boutique is a certified sustainable salon. We know, this statement packs a lot of punch and probably sparks a lot of questions, like “besides the expected energy efficient light bulbs, how can a salon become sustainable!?”

Glad you asked.

When you think of visiting a hair salon, you probably think about the luxurious relaxation of a salon setting where self-care is prioritized and creativity thrives in the form of cuts and colors. But unlike when you visit restaurants who dole out styrofoam cups or opt for paper over plastic at the grocery store, sustainability and salons are probably not a combination you think about often.

As beautiful industry professionals, we began to think about it every day as we saw the amount of waste from our services. Behind the scenes, traditional salons generate a significant amount of waste, including hair clippings, plastic packaging, aluminum foils, and even chemical-laden wastewater. Recognizing the environmental impact of these practices, Tease Hair Boutique along with a growing number of salons are taking action to become green salons—businesses committed to sustainability and eco-friendly operations.

What Is a Green Salon?

A green salon is a beauty establishment that actively reduces its environmental footprint through responsible waste management, sustainable product choices, and energy-efficient practices. These salons aim to minimize pollution, cut down on unnecessary waste, and educate both staff and clients about eco-conscious beauty solutions.

One of the leading initiatives helping salons achieve sustainability is Green Circle Salons (GCS). This certification program provides salons with tools and systems to divert up to 95% of beauty waste from landfills and waterways.

How does it Work?

Traditional salons dispose of materials like hair clippings, chemical waste, and single-use plastics in regular trash bins, contributing to landfill overflow. Green salons, however, are committed to reducing their environmental footprint by responsibly managing the waste generated through beauty services.

Here's how various types of salon waste are processed:

Hair Clippings

It’s probably no surprise that we compile a lot of hair clippings each day. If you’ve visited the salon recently, you may have seen our vacuum-style waste basket that collects swept up hair clippings to be recycled.

Collected hair clippings are repurposed in several innovative ways:

Oil Spill Cleanup: Hair is used to create hair booms and mats that effectively absorb oil during spill responses.
Biocomposite Production: Processed hair fibers are integrated into materials used for manufacturing products like recycling bins.
Agricultural Applications: Hair can be transformed into amino acid solutions that serve as bio-stimulants to enhance soil health in farming.

These methods not only recycle the hair but also contribute positively to environmental remediation and sustainable agriculture.

Excess Hair Color and Chemicals

Handling hair color and chemicals requires careful attention for stylists, and this remains true for how it is recycled to avoid pollution:

Chemical Separation: Advanced processes separate chemicals from water in hair dyes, neutralizing them into harmless components like salt and water before safe reintroduction into wastewater systems.
Energy Recovery: Extracted oils from these chemicals can be repurposed to fuel systems that power the recycling processes, promoting a circular economy.

This approach ensures that harmful substances do not contaminate water sources and that energy is efficiently utilized.

Metals (Foils and Color Tubes)

Used foils and color tubes are:

Cleaned and Recycled: These metals are processed and reintroduced into the manufacturing cycle, reducing the need for virgin materials.

Recycling metals conserves natural resources and minimizes environmental degradation associated with mining.

Single-Use Items and Plastics

Items like gloves, masks, and plastic tools are managed through:

Shredding and Pelletizing: Plastics are shredded and transformed into pellets, which can be used to manufacture new products, including personal protective equipment (PPE).
Waste-to-Energy: Non-recyclable single-use items are safely incinerated to generate clean energy, with residual ash utilized in construction materials like bricks and asphalt.

These processes reduce the volume of waste directed to landfills and contribute to energy production.

Besides Recycled Waste, What Does it Mean to be Green?

Sustainable Product Choices: Green salons prioritize using products with natural, organic, and biodegradable ingredients that are free from harmful chemicals. They also opt for brands that use recyclable or refillable packaging, further reducing plastic waste.

Energy and Water Conservation: Many green salons incorporate LED lighting, water-saving fixtures, and energy-efficient appliances to reduce their carbon footprint. Some even go a step further by using renewable energy sources, such as solar power.

"I've always cared about the environment, but when I learned how much waste and how harsh chemicals are polluting our planet, I knew we had to make a change. That's what got me excited about finding ways to recycle leftover color and hair!" -Suzanne O'Brien, Stylist and Shareholder at Tease Hair Boutique

Bottom Line

The beauty industry generates 877 pounds of waste per minute, much of which ends up in landfills and waterways. By implementing these waste management strategies, we can play a pivotal role in promoting environmental sustainability within the beauty industry.

As a proud member of Green Circle Salons, we have embraced innovative practices to minimize our ecological footprint and promote a greener future. Choosing to be a green salon means committing to responsible beauty practices that prioritize both the health of the planet and the well-being of our Tease Hair Boutique clients.

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