Environmentally friendly hair care company Pravana Natureceuticals is asking salons to do their part to save the earth. To aid salons in this goal, the company has put together a list of easy ways to make your salon more "green."
- Encourage colorists to be more precise when mixing formulas. Recycle your foils and color tubes and send them to a local recycling plant. Let clients' process naturally instead of under the dryer. Leave waste where it belongs— in the bathroom.
- Turn off the water when it's not being used, like between cleansing and conditioning. Install low-flow faucets, toilets, valves and energy-efficient washers when your budget allows.
- Effective immediately, make it a policy to shut off all lights and equipment when not in use, and especially when the salon is closed. Electronics use energy while they're plugged in, even if they're switched off.
- Replace all incandescent lights with fluorescent bulbs. The lights not only give off the perfect tone to assess color, they also use 40-60% less power, reduce heat values and last ten times longer that the average bulb.
- Send out correspondence to your clients via email or on post-consumer recycled paper whenever possible.
- Program your thermostats to automate your HVAC system so you scale back your heating and cooling when the salon is closed. According to Pacific Gas & Electric Company, for every degree you lower your heat in the 60-degree to 70-degree range, you'll save up to 5% on heating costs.
- Encourage your staff to carpool to work. Attend continuing education classes nearby that you can drive to, and get your staff to carpool. Great classes are offered online too!
- Planning to remodel an outdated space? Make it green by building with sustainable materials like bamboo flooring, recycled metals, energy efficient windows and other locally manufactured materials. Check the current LEED standards for commercial properties to see how you can earn a green building certificate. Building with energy-friendly materials could result in a sweet return on your taxes come tax season. Finally, check the Classifieds section in the paper to find salon equipment and furniture you can repurpose instead of buying new.
- Thirsty and hungry? Ditch bottled water and opt for Brita water pitcher you can fill up right at the tap. Serve it with a lemon wedge or cucumber slice and you've got top-notch water—right from the sink! Serve snacks and goodies on glass plates and with cloth napkins rather than paper and you've eliminated waste and upped your glam factor tenfold.
- Install a ceiling fan to help balance and not overwork your air conditioning.
- Tint it! Having your windows tinted won't block the view, but will block out most of the UV rays and much of the heat.
- Use environmentally friendly, clean-burning soy candles in your reception area and spa rooms rather than paraffin candles, which contain petroleum. Set out pretty coffee table books in the reception area for your clients to read and donate old magazines to a local women's shelter.