Sustainable Hairdressing

Lecture outlineSection 1: Key Sustainability Concepts

Section 2: Reducing Water and Energy Consumption

Section 3: Eco Products

Section 4: The Ripple Effect - Advising Clients

Section 5: Reducing Water Pollution

Section 6: Palm Oil and Deforestation

Section 7: Reducing Waste

Section 1Key sustainability concepts

One Planet Living• Globally; humanity is currently consuming 50% more natural resources than the Earth's

ecosystems can replenish (WWF).

• United Kingdom; if everyone in the world were to consume natural resources and generate CO2 at the rate we do in the UK, we'd need three planets to support us.

• We only have one planet and need to stop over consuming our planets resources by making sustainable changes in our homes and places of work.

• Concept of One Planet Living (2:46mins) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3NZ7cmR9v8

Climate change and Global warming

When CO2 is released into the atmosphere, it acts as a greenhouse gas i.e. it causes heat to remain trapped within the atmosphere, rather than escaping back to space. This causes global warming.

Science tells us that the increasing century is mostly man-made and that temperatures are rising now faster than ever

Video clip: Basic concept of sustainability and climate change (1 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSNsnhqFQvU

Discussion points:

• How will climate change affect us?

• What are the implications for hairdressing?

Responses

• This is likely to result in water shortages and developing countries in the South becoming deserts.

• This affects us all, as we depend on the South for crops such as coffee, chocolate, sugar, fruit etc.

• Sea levels and coastal areas will become uninhabitable.• Mass immigration.• Pressure on energy and water intensive businesses

That was the bad news…

• The good news is that hairdressers have more power than any other group of people to make a difference and help us overcome these challenges…

• AND have great hair!

What is a Carbon Footprint?A carbon footprint is defined as:

• The total amount of greenhouse gases produced to support human activities, usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide (CO2).

• For example:

• The carbon footprint of using 1 litre of petrol is 2.3kg

• Using half a tank of petrol = 57.5kg

• The weekly carbon footprint of someone who shampoos their hair every day with 2 shampoos and rinsed out conditioner with hot water running for 10 mins in total is 9kg.

• The weekly carbon footprint of someone who shampoos their hair twice a week with 1 shampoo and leave-in conditioner with hot water running for 4 mins in total, plus uses dry shampoo once a week is 0.015kg.

Activity time

Work out the carbon footprint of your hair-routine here:

(this will open in a different page press esc to see)

Compare notes with each other – how much did you save?

Notice how much difference it makes cutting hot water running time down compared to other changes

Section 2 - Reducing Water and Energy Consumption

Salon activities that depend on energy

• The hot water heated to shampoo hair

• Washing towels

• Boiling the kettle

• Blow drying the hair

• Straightening, curling, setting the hair

• Climazones and hooded dryers

• Lighting

Salon activities that depend on water

• Shampooing the clients hair for a cut and blow dry

• Rinsing off a clients colour

• Rinsing a perm

• Washing towels

• Washing up

• Filling the kettle for hot drinks

• Mopping the salon

Discussion Point:Energy Use: What can you do?

• How best can you reduce your energy consumption?

• In your home?

• In the hair salon?

• What changes in behavior/practice can you think of?

Behaviour change to reduce energy/water consumption?

• Changes with the greatest impact are those that reduce use of water heater.

• Waiting for a full load before you put the washing machine on

• Filling the kettle for the right amount of cups

• Switching taps off

• Water temperature: use tepid water not hot.

• And for your clients:• shampoo once not twice,

• use leave in conditioner,

• dry shampoo etc.

How hair is washed

Water should be tepid NOT hot

•Most of us wash our hair in water that is too hot.

•Washing hair in tepid water rather than hot water is better for the follicles.

•Overly hot water stimulates the sebaceous glands and encourages oil production which can lead to oily hair.

•Washing in tepid water also saves energy and money.

Less product

•Most of us use too much shampoo - most shampoos contain harsh chemicals such as sodium lauryl sulphate which strip the oil from the hair (made worse if water is too hot).

•Most of us shampoo hair more often than we need to.

Behavioural change: Reducing energy consumption

• Switching lights off

• Switching appliances off

• Switching taps off

• Using products to help speed up blow drying time where appropriate

• Using the correct blow drying techniques to provide a quality, yet efficient service

Discussion Point?

• What are the benefits of more sustainable practices and products?

• To the salon?

• To the client?

• To the client’s hair?

• To the planet?

Benefits of Sustainable Behaviour

• No need for large investment

• Massive cost savings: estimated that each 1% investment in behaviour changes = 10% savings in costs.

• Using less water, heat and chemicals is also good for hair condition.

• Saves resources and conserves fossil fuels

• Reduces carbon emissions and benefits climate change

• Reduces air and water pollution

Section 3Eco products

Discussion Point:

• What Green products/technologies can you think of?

Eco-productsThere are three ways in which a product can be eco-friendly:1. Appliances/ products/technologies that save energy

2. The way in which it is used results in less water/energy being used e.g. dry shampoo, leave-in conditioner, cleansing conditioner.

3. The brand/company is known for its green credentials e.g.

• Recyclable/less packaging

• have less toxic ingredients, avoid ingredients that damage the environment e.g. uses sustainable palm oil, ammonia free, PPD free

• Low flow showers with a wattage of about 8,500 watts,

Air is bubbled in with the water, reducing the amount of water used.

‘Aerating’ heads mix oxygen with water to create a softer, bubbly shower.

• Shower aerators, which reduce water consumption by about 50%.

An affordable way to reduce your water consumption.

With some brands you can save up to £300 a year.

• Enhances clients experience by massage motion

• Purifies water which results in a cleaner smoother blow dry

Ecoheads 56% less water

"ECOHEADS have changed the salon backwash experience forever, saving us water and energy but managing to double the pressure"

Nicola Smyth | Award Winning Hair UK

More on energy saving products…

• Professional Hair Spa

Thermal cap that use body heat not electricity

‘better for the hairdresser, better for the client and better for the planet.’

• Curlformers

Can style and even perm hair with Curlformers.

Easy, no heat way to curl hair.No hair dryers no curlers, no straighteners.

• Gamma Piu IES DryerUses less energy but performs like a 2500 watt

dryer with power and heat but uses up to 44% less electricity.

• Single use towels such as EasyDry or EnkiMade using eco-friendly processes, they are

sustainable. Used by Ken Picton, Karine Jackson, Leo Bancroft, Anne Veck and Hooker & Young.

• Saves water• Biodegradable, which reduces pressure on

landfill• Sourced from sustainable forests• Hygienic• Disposable towels is 25% cheaper than

laundering cotton towels.

Anne VeckOwner of eco salon in OxfordBlueGen Ceramic Fuel TechnologySingle use towelsLED lightingFSC accredited stationaryAmmonia free hair colourEthically sourced hair extensions

Anne Veck Eco Salon 2:39 video clip showing how salon can be designed to prevent waste, water pollution and save energy and water. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL49MUaHRD8

Virtual Salon

Here is an example from Fife College as to what a college salon could be.

https://youtu.be/PxkjzkdvoZM

Eco-products that use less resources Dry shampoo

Leave-in conditioner Cleansing conditioner; shampoo & conditioner in one Eco colour; ammonia free, organic, PPD free Curlers that don’t require heat e.g. curl-formers Video (5:30) some examples of eco-products (cleansing conditioner,

hair-oils, salt spray, dry shampoo, leave-in conditioner) https://youtu.be/1JllR5P9D64

Benefits of Dry Shampoo • Dry shampoo saves typically 8 minutes running hot water + 5 minutes blow drying

• Saves approx. 62 litres of water per shampoo

• Saves 1.04 kg CO₂e (carbon emissions)

• Saves 2.25 kWh energy .

• Good for hair as it doesn’t strip natural oils from scalp, or make brittle through blow drying.

• Makes hair easier to style, can give volume. Coloured versions can help to cover grey roots temporarily.

• Cost savings: using dry shampoo once a week over a year saves approx. £80 per household.

• Time saving: Takes less than a minute. How long does your normal wash and dry take?

• Convenience: can do anywhere, good when no access to water e.g. festivals, camping.

• Reduces colour-fade due to less rinsing and so has environmental, time, cost and health and safety benefits.

Carbon Footprint of Shampoo

• Roughly 93% of the carbon footprint of shampoo, conditioner and other hair products is associated with heating water in the “use phase”,

• The remaining 7% is mostly packaging.

• Therefore you are decreasing your carbon footprint by reducing your product consumption, as well as your hot water consumption.

Section 4The Ripple Effect: advising clients

The Ripple Effect in the Hair and Beauty Industry

Trainers/

Colleges

Learners

Salons

Clients

Discussion Point?

• What hair-care practices can you recommend to your clients that will save energy and water (and also time and money)?

Good home-care practices•Shampooing once instead of twice

•Shampooing less often

•Encouraging the use of dry shampoo

•Use leave-in conditioner

•Use products such as cleansing conditioner/2in1 products

•Reducing/eliminating the volume of conditioner used per wash

•Washing in tepid water – not hot water

•Leaving hair to dry naturally as much as possible

•Reducing the use of straighteners, curling tongs and other heated appliances and using alternatives such as heat-free curlers

Role Play Activity/Discussion

• In pairs role play/discuss how you can integrate such advice into typical conversations with clients.

• For example, link into particular hair-care issues they may have, or discussions about time, money, holidays etc.

Advice to clients• The biggest impact you have as hairdressers is the advice you give

to your clients. Watch these clips to get some ideas on how you can integrate advice into the service you provide:

• https://youtu.be/ZmE36lanSDM10 mini clips of < minute each showing how you can advise clients of products/practices that are good for their hair, but also better for the environment (10 mins).

Cost Saving Activity• Work out how much could a salon save a year by reducing rinsing time by 3

minutes per client by having one less rinse cycle per client?

• May do this by shampooing once rather than twice, using leave in conditioner rather than rinse out conditioner, using cleansing conditioner rather than shampoo + condition

• Cost of running hot water - assume 4p per minute

• Removing one rinse cycle would save 3 minutes per customer

• Assume 20 customers a day = £? a year

THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF 2 PEOPLE• High resource client: shampoos their hair every day, and with the following

pattern – shampoo once, rinse, shampoo twice, rinse, condition, rinse, blow dry, straighten

• Water use = 14,222 litres; energy use = 1252kWh, carbon footprint = 579kg CO₂e

• Lower resource client: uses dry shampoo once a week, shampoos hair twice a week, and shampoos just once, uses leave-conditioner, lets hair dry to 80% dry before using hairdryer.

• Water use = 613 litres; energy use = 55 kWh, carbon footprint = 25.4kg CO₂e

• Imagine if just 10% of clients changed their habits for their lifetime, as a result of your advice, and then passes advice onto to their kids.

Section 5Reducing Water Pollution

Water Pollution • Waste water from hair washing is classed as “grey-water”, and is transported by sewer

systems to a treatment facility. It is vital therefore that waste water is transported safely and treated. If these toxic chemicals were released into soil or water, they could cause great ecological damage.

• More than 5,000 different chemicals are found in hair dye products, some of which are reported to be carcinogen, causing cancer in animals (Bolt & Golka, 2007, de Sanjose et al., 2006).

Discussion Point?

• What can be done to reduce water pollution by hair salons?

What Can be Done to Reduce Water Pollution?

Reduce colour waste

When mixing colour it can be easy to overestimate the colour needed for the service or clients hair. This wasted colour is then washed unnecessarily down the drain causing water pollution. Mixing colour responsibly can reduce ecological damage and save the salon money.

Opt for Organic and Ultra Low Ammonia Options

Alternative hair colour contains fewer toxic chemicals which ultimately gets washed down the drain and enters the water system. This change not only benefits the environment, but improves the wellbeing of stylists and clients as their exposure to toxic chemicals is minimised.

OR: Use chalk-based temporary hair colour: good fun and fewer chemicals video clip (1:53s)Click here

Section 6Palm Oil and deforestation

Palm Oil Palm oil is a vegetable oil and is found in many household products, including

shampoo, but unsustainable palm oil causes deforestation (rainforests are being destroyed at a rate of 300 football fields every hour) is causing significant environmental problems.

• Greenpeace - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0o6WHN4NDTk 2:27 - link between palm oil, forest destruction and products.

Habitat Loss The loss of forest has led to many

animals losing their homes. This has pushed many species to the brink of extinction, at risk are; elephants, rhinos, tigers and orang-utans.

If orang-utans wander into nearby villages they are seen as pests and are captured. The mother is often killed and the baby is sold on a as pet.

What can be done in the hair and beauty industry

• Choose a shampoo brand that is RSPO certified by checking the ingredients list, if it contains vegetable oil or fat look for indication whether it comes from sustainable sources.

• Some global buyers such as Unilever are committed to buying 100% sustainable palm oil, but others are lagging.

• If you can’t be sure that the product contains sustainable palm oil, opt for a palm oil free product

• Educate clients about your product choice and why it is important

• Don't overuse products, use the recommended amount to reduce demand and preserve resources

Section 7Reducing waste

The Waste HierarchyThe waste hierarchy aims to minimise waste

Reducing Waste; Recycling

• How? Set up recycling bins in convenient places in the salon, label the recycling bins with a list a common salon waste items that can be disposed of, approach the task as a team

• Why? Reduces pressure on landfill and saves resources

Activity

• How else can you apply the waste hierarchy to hair salons?

• What waste can be prevented completely?

• What can be reduced?

• What can be recycled

• What is left over that is disposed of?

Additional activities(can be done as prep or stand alone activities)

• 5-10 minute survey raises awareness of sustainable hairdressing as well as providing an opportunity for feedback: https://www.isurvey.soton.ac.uk/13666

• Do our carbon footprint quiz online (5-15 mins) https://www.isurvey.soton.ac.uk/17852

• LINK BETWEEN SUSTAINABILITY AND HAIRDRESSING 14 mins

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQxnpY62uk4

• This video can be used as an alternative introduction to the link between sustainability and hairdressing and covers most of what is covered in this presentation.

• There are breaks for discussion and feedback at 3:36 and 10.17.