As Plastic Free July encourages businesses to rethink their environmental impact.
Published:As Plastic Free July encourages businesses to rethink their environmental impact, salon owner Oliver Blackaby is encouraging hairdressers to adopt simple changes that can help reduce plastic consumption throughout the year.
Blackaby says the first step is understanding how much plastic is used in the salon by carrying out a review of everyday products and identifying where more sustainable alternatives could be introduced.
“Knowing where you’re starting from makes it much easier to identify opportunities to reduce plastic over time.”
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He also recommends introducing a dedicated recycling system for unavoidable plastic waste. His salon works with a local recycling initiative to collect and recycle plastics, while tracking the volume of waste generated.
“Since introducing recycling and making more conscious purchasing decisions, we’ve seen the amount of plastic we’re sending for recycling reduce because we’re bringing less into the salon in the first place,” he says.
When selecting suppliers, Blackaby advises salons to look beyond product performance and consider packaging credentials as well.
“It’s worth asking how products are packaged, whether bottles are made from recycled materials and how deliveries arrive. Small decisions across multiple suppliers can make a real difference.”
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Alongside reviewing suppliers, Blackaby has introduced a number of plastic-free alternatives throughout the salon, including bamboo tissues, paper straws and plastic-free cleaning products. He also sources refillable household items from a local sustainable living retailer wherever possible.
Blackaby believes that making incremental changes throughout the year can help salons reduce their environmental impact without compromising day-to-day operations.
For more tips to help you become more sustainable in your salon, please follow on Instagram @oliverblackabyhair or @the.hairsalon.
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