Earth Day: How We Are Making a Difference

Happy Earth Month friends! Roma from Salon Society here on the blog today to talk about everything eco! I am a hippie trapped in a concrete jungle and do everything I can to ensure I am eco-friendly and sustainable. One of the things I love most about working in an eco-friendly salon is a shared belief that environmental consciousness is incredibly important, both at work and at home. Here are some of the ways we strive to be earth-friendly!

IN-SALON

• Our salon is largely paperless: all appointments are scheduled using an online system and we send receipts electronically
• Our shopping bags are made from paper and are recyclable

• We aim to stock products that are made naturally and are environmentally-friendly.

• We proudly sell Kevin Murphy hair products, which are cruelty-free, made using eco-friendly methods, and packaged using sustainable Ocean Waste Plastic.

At KEVIN.MURPHY, we make every effort to help and protect the environment by utilising packaging that is recyclable or biodegradable. We use only natural ingredients from sustainable and renewable sources, that are harvested in a way that does no harm to the environment at all.
- Kevin Murphy Website

• We carry Routine Natural Deodorant, which is made in Canada and only contains clean, wholesome ingredients. Their deodorant jars are refillable at places in Regina like The Alternative, our neighbours! Visit the full list of refill stations in Canada.

• We are a member of Green Circle Salons - a global program started in Toronto to help beauty industry professionals recover up to 95% of their beauty waste. This amazing program allows us to recycle the following:
  • hair clippings
  • excess hair colour/colour tubes
  • used metals and foils
  • used single-use items
  • paper and plastic waste
  • PPE waste 

Fun fact: Green Circle Salons sends recycled hair clippings to help clean up oil spills in the ocean!

​Green Circle Salons' website has TONS of great information about how salon waste can be recycled through their program. It's pretty crazy and inspiring - check it out!

BEHIND THE SCENES

• Our team always separates all recyclable products from trash from any salon supplies, furniture, lunches, beverages, etc.
• We keep reusable plates, cutlery, and cups in our staff room
• We use dryer balls in our salon laundry rather than dryer sheets
• For cleaning, we use eco-friendly products and reusable cloths instead of paper towel
• Our bathroom paper towel is made from recycled materials
• We reuse shipping boxes and mailer envelopes received in the mail for our outgoing orders!
• We use refillable or compostable K-Cups in our Keurig machine
• All of our wall-hanging planters are made from recycled milk jugs (Wally Gro - check them out!)
• We collect garbage from around our building on a daily basis - it's shocking how much we pick up!
• Our team brings in homemade snacks and drinks to share to help cut down on single-use plastics from restaurants
• We collect pop can tabs to be recycled into wheelchairs!
  (If this interests you, help out by bringing your can tab collection to your next appointment!)

AT HOME

On top of our salon initiatives, our team also wanted to share some of the sustainable practices we have implemented into our own lives:

• Using reusable straws/cutlery/baggies
• Using dryer balls instead of dryer sheets
• Carrying a reusable water bottle
• Making our own snacks
• Growing a garden
• Recycling whenever possible
• Bringing our own grocery bags
• Carpooling
• Riding bicycles instead of driving
• Using eco-friendly cleaning products/refilling stations
• Composting
• Using biodegradable cleaning tools (bamboo dish scrubbers, toothbrushes, Q-tips, etc.)
• Turning off lights when leaving a room
• Avoiding single-use plastics
• Bringing our own take-out containers to restaurants
• Reusing recyclable containers
  (yogurt, sour cream, pasta sauce, etc.)
• Buying bulk foods in reusable containers
  ​(i.e. Bulk Barn)

With so many ways to be environmentally-friendly, we want to know: what are your favourites?? 
​Let us know in the comments!

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ABOUT THE EXPERT

Roma is a Junior Hair Artist specializing in hair cuts and creative colours. She is a proud eco-warrior and personally undertakes ALL of the sustainable practices listed above!

Read Roma's About Me page or Book an Appointment.