Salon wins award for being eco-friendly
A CARDIFF hair salon that bans staff from using plastic at lunch has become the first in Wales to receive a new sustainability rating.
Bauhaus hair salon, which has two sites in the city centre, was recently awarded sustainable salon status as part of a UK Government-funded scheme to make the industry more eco-friendly.
The Friary and Bakers Row-based hairdresser opened in 2015 and has been designed around a low-waste, minimalist concept following a £60,000 refurbishment.
Both its locations use biodegradable, one-use towels which cut down on the need for machine washing and all light fittings use low-energy bulbs.
Owner of Bauhaus, Scott Miller, says he urges staff to be more eco-friendly and has banned certain items from the salon.
“It’s really important that the whole team is on board with what we’re trying to do,” he said.
“Our clients are very clued-up on sustainability and it’s one of the reasons they come to us.
“We encourage staff to live more sustainable lifestyles so we don’t waste water, we don’t have plastic cutlery or cups in the staff room
“We minimise waste and you won’t find things like cut flowers in the salon.”
Bauhaus stocks Aveda hair and beauty products that use a minimum of 80% post-consumer recycled materials in its packaging.
Aveda calculates that this saves more than 300 tonnes of virgin plastic each year across its range on items like shampoos and conditioners.
Dr Denise Baden from the Univer- sity of Southampton, which helps run the Ecohair project, said: “A growing raft of hairdressers are keen to show that the profession can be part of the solution to the challenges of sustainable development and water shortages, not part of the problem.
“A small four-seater salon could save more than £5,300 year, 24,150kWh energy and 286,000 litres of water by making small changes.
“Clients look to their hair stylist for advice on everything from how using too much heat, water and chemicals is bad for your hair and bad for your bills as well as bad for the planet.”