A Ballarat salon is trying to be a cut above the rest when it comes to reducing the waste they produce.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
As part of the Sustainable Salons movement, Hair & Beauty on Dana became the first Ballarat salon committed to recycling 95 per cent of their rubbish today.
Sustainable Salons is an Australian organisation that collects and recycles waste from salons, including hair, plastics and aluminium foil.
According to owner Debbie Mercer, the percentage of their refuse that avoids landfill probably higher than 95 per cent, as food waste from the business goes into compost at her home.
“We had tried to recycle as much as possible in the salon beforehand, but this is a game changer for us,” she said.
“It’s about being mindful of how much wastage salons are producing. It’s really good that foil can be recycled, it’s an endless recycling, where as paper can only be recycled five to seven times.
“It’s our future generations we need to think about. The more we do to stop filling up landfill, the better it’s going to be.
If 95 per cent of salon waste can be recycled, obviously a lot of other waste can be recycled too.
- Debbie Mercer, owner of Hair & Beauty on Dana
“Clients get a $2 ‘green fee’ added on to their service, and $1 of that goes to OzHarvest to provide meals for the homeless.”
The salon is also keeping tabs on chemical wastage by weighing the leftover dried chemical powders yearly.
Sustainable Salons launched three years ago, and now operates across five Australian states.
Waste is eventually dealt with by the organisation in interesting ways, according to Sustainable Salons business development manager Krystina Birch.
“Everything is recycled and repurposed, and everything we collect from the salons goes back into community-based programs and charitable organisations,” she said.
“Hair that is swept up off the floor is going to Hair Booms project, which is soaking up oil spills from our oceans, as well as being used for composting.
“Another really amazing way it’s used is is wigs for children with alopecia and other people in need.
“People want to help and make a difference, they’re becoming a lot more conscious of their impact on the planet.
“With chemicals, we recycle them to stop them going down our precious waterways. Everything has a really beautiful story.”
