Near zero waste stylist wins vish top award

The team at Karine Jackson Sustainable Hair in London has triumphed again at this year’s Vish Waste Warrior Awards, reinforcing the salon’s reputation as the most sustainable in the UK. It’s the third time the salon has won the prestigious title, recording an average of just £0.21 worth of colour left over at every service delivered, saving the salons thousands of pounds.

The top individual award also stays at the group’s Covent Garden salon, with reigning champion Simon Hall swooping in to reclaim his crown as Stylist Waste Warrior. The value of his average waste across all the technical services he delivered in 2022 was a staggering £0.09, £0.03 lower than in 2022 and £1.10 less than the average stylist.

“It’s an incredible achievement by Simon Hall and the team at Karine Jackson Sustainable Hair, when you realise the value of waste left over by stylists each service averages £1.19,” said Joshua Howard, CEO of Vish. “Simon saves £1.10 per colour application, which means stable costs and better profitability for the salon.”

The annual Vish Waste Warrior awards programme, always announced during Earth Month in April, was launched by the colour management pioneer to recognise those salons and stylists who consistently keep waste to a minimum. The problem of waste is more than just environmental. The industry currently throws away more than 6.8 million kg of mixed colour, with almost every gram paid for by salons. It adds up to almost £15k in wasted colour for the average salon each year.

Even small salons are saving thousands. Lisa Hauck Salon in London was runner-up to Karine Jackson Sustainable Hair, with just £0.39 worth of waste left by its team of four.

“Vish would be a viable investment even for one stylist,” says owner Lisa Hauck. “The savings we make on not throwing away colour that the salon has paid for easily outweigh the costs. But clients also love our determination not to send unnecessary waste down the sink.”

All Vish clients dodge the crippling costs of colour waste, just not as much as the Vish Waste Warriors. Newcomers Lucy Bone from Jodie Young Colour Bar & Salon in Newquay, and Sharise Sweeney from David Youll Hair Salon in Paignton, who won second and third in the Stylists Waste Warrior category, both sustained minimal waste levels valued at £0.25 per service during 2022. Meanwhile, Lisa Hauck Salon and The Cutting Room in Wigan displaced other sustainable salon grandees, taking second and third place in the Salon Waste Warriors category. The Cutting Room was just behind Lisa Hauck, weighing in at £0.44 worth of colour wasted.

The annual Vish Waste Warrior awards programme ranks the top salons and stylists in the UK on waste per service and reweigh stats.

Check out the Vish Waste Warriors at getvish.com