When we opened Hair Intentions in February 2023, we wanted to ensure our salon was different, in the best kinds of ways. The quality of our experience was always top of mind, and we knew that there were several values we could never compromise on.
To help you get a better understanding of Hair Intentions and our team, we've decided to share our values in a series of blogs. Each article will highlight a value that we hold dear... values that will likely match with yours.
In this blog article, we will share about our value of Sustainability.
As humans, we produce a lot of waste. Just the other day, a couple of the Hair Intentions team members took a field trip to the Waitākere Refuse and Recycling Transfer Station, where we saw the huge piles of rubbish being dumped on a daily basis. According to Auckland Council, every year, we send more than 1.6 million tonnes of waste to landfill in Auckland - that's more than a tonne per person.
The beauty industry is guilty of adding a lot of waste to landfills. Salons traditionally have a large carbon footprint because of the volume of imperishable waste products, such as cotton wool, plastic shampoo bottles, foils, colour tubes, towels and tissues.
Diverting our waste
At Hair Intentions, we refuse to be part of the problem - that's why we've chosen to partner with Sustainable Salons NZ. Through this partnerships, we are able to divert up to 95% of our salon's waste away from landfill.
So how do we do it?
Our stylists are careful to separate out the different types of waste that our salon produces (hair, metal, paper, plastic, chemicals), and puts each type into their own bin, which is collected on a regular basis by the kind folks at Sustainable Salons.
These materials are then recycled and reused in many creative ways:
- Plastic is recycled to make sunglasses, combs, plant pots, leashes, drink coasters, and other products. You can even buy some of these products!
- Paper is taken from our salon directly to specialised recycling partners, who grade, sort, shred and bale it. These bales are sent to paper mills to make new recycled paper products.
- Hair clippings are taken and used to make organic booms that clean up oil spills, develop new technology (hairy tech) and added to soil for plants. Learn more about the use of hair booms to soak up oil spills!
- Metals are an awesome product to recycle, because they can be reused over and over again. Sustainable Salons works with a company called Refoil, who take our metal and turn them into 100% recycled aluminium foil products.
- Chemicals are taken to a special treatment plant, where the water is removed. This water can be used in place of fresh water when purity levels are not required (for example, in the construction industry, or when watering gardens). What an awesome way to make use of chemical waste!
Of course, this does come at a cost, and that's why you'll find a small 'Green Fee' of $3 added to your service. Your contributions go a long way to supporting our salon's commitment to being more sustainable.
Donating ponytails
As part of our partnership with Sustainable Salons, we also collect ponytail donations, which are used to make wigs and fund life-changing programmes. By choosing to donate your ponytail, you're supporting charitable organisations like Variety and the Australia Alopecia Areata Foundation!
Our newly installed Ecoheads showerheads
In addition to our work with Sustainable Salons NZ, we are always looking for ways to improve our salon's sustainability. That's why we have recently changed all of our basin showerheads to Ecoheads. These incredible showerheads deliver better results while using less water! It's a win/win.
- Reduces water & energy usage by up to 65%
- Increases water pressure
- Filters and cleans water
- Introduces negative ions to soften the water
- Removes sediment, rust, and sand
Our best choice for serving high-quality coffee
When it comes to serving rich, high-quality coffee, nothing beats an old-fashioned espresso machine. But, in a fast-paced salon, we simply don't have the time or skill to be making a traditional flat white for each of our clients.
The next best thing is to invest in a coffee machine that produces delicious coffee every time. Nowadays, it's difficult to find a coffee machine that doesn't require single-use pods, which we struggled to accept at first. How can we claim to value sustainability, and serve coffee made with single-use, disposable pods?
After doing a bit of research, we chose to go with Nespresso, as their pods are made from aluminium, which is 100% recyclable (as opposed to Keurig pods, which are made from difficult-to-recycle plastic). In addition, Nespresso has a strong commitment to the environment and to social impact, which means the coffee we purchase is going to improve the lives of the farmers who are growing and harvesting the beans. Read about Nespresso's commitment to sustainability.
So, next time you're in our salon, you can ask for a flat white, knowing your coffee was made intentionally and sustainably! We even offer almond milk, if you'd prefer.
Do you have any ideas for how we can be even more sustainable? Tell us in the comments below!