As you know, April is Earth Month! As a society we need to do our part in taking care of Mother Nature to ensure she is in preserved for the generations to come. To go 100% eco-friendly could be a heavy investment for your business, but here are some tips that can make your business greener without breaking the bank.
Recycle, Re-Use & Go Digital
When it comes to certain materials in your salon, you can be more efficient. For example, the paper you use. Paper should be limited and re-used. Old fliers or miscellaneous documents – don’t just throw away. Reuse if a side is blank, and set up bins alongside your printer to recycle paper. This is a common practice at our office, and you’ll see how much LESS paper you use! At the same time, if you don’t have to print something onto paper, don’t! Go digital in as many ways as you can – employee work schedules, event fliers for clients, in-salon promotions – send these out via email and post all over your social media, rather than resorting to mass printing.
In the communal kitchen, materials such as plastic cups and utensils should be replaced with real glasses and silverware that can be re-used. Refreshments and food served to guests should be presented in this way as well. Not only is this more eco-friendly, but presenting in this way is a nicer amenity.
Be Energy Efficient
Never leave a light on in a space in your business if it is not needed. Leave a friendly reminder in the rest rooms and each room to remind employees and clients to turn off the lights after exiting. You can even invest in installing lights that have timers so that lights can be automatically shut off. Make sure you are using energy efficient bulbs at your salon and making use of natural lighting that can be let in. And of course, at the end of the night make sure all electrical equipment is turned off and unplugged.
Wash Equipment the Eco-Friendly Way
In the same aspect of being efficient with light, you can be more efficient when you’re doing laundry for your business. Start by using more natural cleaning products. Harsh bleaches and chlorine can be irritating to client’s skin. Plus, they aren’t doing Mother Nature any good when they go down the drain. Also do fewer, larger loads rather than small loads to conserve water.
At Repêchage, the number one ingredient in all of our skincare stems from Mother Nature’s swimming pool… the ocean. We use ECOCERT seaweed that is freshly harvested from the Brittany Coast of France, an area that is strictly regulated by the French government to ensure protection and sustainability of this natural resource. The seaweed is organic and grown without the use of conventional pesticides or artificial fertilizers. This allows us to process the seaweed and retains all the vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, and we are re-assured that are we are not depleting the world’s supply of seaweed in this process! It’s a win-win; a win for our skin & Mother Nature!
How do you make an effort to be more eco-friendly at your business? Tell me in the comments below!
