Green salon collective continue to make a positive impact on the industry and to the planet

Green Salon Collective, the original authority on salon sustainability in UK & Ireland, are always thinking about they can use salon waste (like hair) to benefit the industry, the environment and/or the community.

With this in mind they aim to create a circular economy with each waste stream that salons give them.

Take hair for example, normally it goes straight to landfill and has no positive impact on a business, the environment or community. So they challenged themselves to create a circular economy solution for hair that's going to waste.

Green Salon Collective now provide salons with a bin especially for hair. They collect the hair from the salons using either electric vans or carbon-neutral transportation. Then they use the hair for either gardening, composting or oil or waterway cleaning operations. And when they can profit from this process, proceeds are given to industry charities.

They have developed these certified solutions for every waste stream and because of this, and the high ethics and standards, they have been able to partner with companies like Authentic Beauty Concept, we/Do, L’Oréal Professionnel Products Division, Wella Professionals, KEVIN.MURPHY, Paul Mitchell, OWAY, FFØR, INSIGHT, Foil Me, Eco Towels, CENTRED, Natulique, The Salon Standards Agency and many more.

Green Salon Collective Continue to Make a Positive Impact on the Industry and to The Planet

Green Salon Collective launched with the goal of recycling the unrecyclable within hairdressing – but they haven’t stopped there, and their philanthropic outlook has led to the launch of a host of altruistic new initiatives, supporting even more good causes.

Among the charities that have been supported by Green Salon Collective since their launch three years ago are Haircuts for Homeless (providing hair and beauty services for the unhoused); Foodcycle (community meals for those facing food poverty and isolation); and Mossy Earth (rewilding and reforesting to restore nature and fight climate change). To date, the company have donated more than £42,000 to their chosen organisations.

“It’s always been our dream to support projects that we truly believe in,” says company Co-Founder Fry Taylor. “And we are proud that we are consistently realising this with charities that are close to our heart. They all work so hard to help both people and the planet.”

As well as their charity partnerships, Green Salon Collective have also undertaken research projects to bolster their values of sustainability and support for the hairdressing community. Topics include investigating the true cost of disposable towels, and most recently how hairdressers can influence consumer behaviour with the ongoing Mirror Talkers study; a 12-month initiative to explore ways to reduce individual consumer carbon and water footprints related to haircare routines.

Fry says: “We are fully committed to supporting research and development projects tackling why it’s vital for the hairdressing industry to consider the environmental impact of all areas of their business. These projects are essential for us to continue learning and developing new ways to both improve our industry and share that knowledge with salon clients.”

Initially created to transform recycling within hairdressing, Green Salon Collective have already saved 200 tons of waste from going to landfill through their professional salon network and recycling at industry events. Their core mission is to find ways or reusing all aspects of salon waste, and they have partnered with like-minded companies to ensure that everything can be recycled, composted, or even converted into green energy. Using their recycling system, together with their education and accreditation program, Green Salon Collective make it simple for salons to run a more ethical and sustainable business – which in turn can attract new clients.