Nilofer Aydinli, Managing Director at Enki Towels gives her Earth Month salon sustainability checklist…
Earth Month is here, and we caught up with Nilofer Aydinli, Managing Director at Enki Towels, to get her insight into how salons can be more sustainable – a checklist they can follow that will allow them to start their sustainability journey towards making their salon and consequently the planet, a better place.
Switching to LED lighting
By simply replacing all salon lightbulbs with LED energy-efficient bulbs it will allow salons to save significantly on their energy costs.
Go paperless
By going paperless and opting for online booking systems, online loyalty cards and gift cards, salons can drastically reduce paper waste.
Washing at lower temperatures
Washing at a high temperature consumes a large amount of energy, which in turn contributes to carbon emissions and climate change. Where possible, salons should consider washing at lower temperatures. However, it’s also important to note that some things in the salon, such as regular cotton towels, need to be washed at a higher temperature for the best hygiene practices and to ensure they do not spread bacteria or viruses.
Choosing durable, responsibly made towels
Taking the above into consideration, using disposable, eco towels is a great way to not only avoid the issue of your towels not being safe and hygienic, but using disposable eco towels like Enki Towels will also allow salons to go laundry free and save money on energy and water usage. Enki Towels are also vegan, biodegradable, and compostable – helping salons to become more sustainable and preserve the planet.
Considering detergent and cleaning product choices
Many conventional products can contain harsh chemicals, therefore, doing some research into the detergents and cleaning products available to you, what are more eco-friendly alternatives with natural ingredients, is a great yet simple way to become more eco conscious in your salon.
Reducing overstocking
By overstocking in the salon this can increase waste and contribute to chemical pollution. Instead, salons should consider inventory software or regular audits of their stock to establish minimum and maximum stock levels for each product that they have and to avoid overstocking, whilst also ensuring they have enough product for client demand. POS integrated technology on salon systems is particularly great for this as they can track sales trends, analyse sales data, and set up low stock alerts.
Recycle everything!
From hair, to foils and colour tubes, salons should consider partnering with specialised recycling initiatives to recycle as much as possible. This not only reduces environmental impact but also hair clippings for example can be repurposed and made into hair extensions.
Use eco-friendly products
Choose to retail greener, more eco-friendly products with recyclable packaging where possible. These products will be better for the environment but also will be incredibly gentle on client’s hair too – win win.
Although many of these points may be small operational changes, they can make a big impact for salons – they create positive impacts on the environment, and allow salons to over time, adopt more eco-friendly habits which will help more pressing challenges such as resource depletion, climate change and pollution.
Discover more at enkitowels.com.