A few hours at the hairdresser or spa can cost the environment huge, as Canadian and American salons produce about 877 pounds (362 kg) of waste per minute.
So every minute is equivalent to a grizzly’s weight in waste, or 421,000 pounds (190,962 kg) per day for an 8-hour day, making the beauty industry greener, according to a report by Green Circle Salons.
The survey examined the overall environmental impact of waste generated by beauty salons and the attitudes of salon professionals on this important issue.
“[…] No [les clients], or, more often than not, salon workers think about the enormous impact they have on the environment at this time. It’s not their fault. There is not much awareness of the impact of these measures and in the past we have run out of solutions,” explained Shane Price, CEO of Green Circle Salons.
Major sources of waste are hair dyes, hair cutting and metal; All these wastes produce greenhouse gases especially through decomposition.
According to the report, 70% of industry professionals are unaware of the significant impact of hair waste and hair dyes on greenhouse gas emissions.
However, the majority of salons (64%) said sustainability was a “very important” issue.
To prepare this report, Green Circle Salons surveyed nearly 400 businesses, including 263 salon owners or managers and 130 stylists and barbers in Canada and the United States.
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