Since launching a year ago, word is spreading in hairdressing circles about Eco hair and Beauty a pioneering ‘eco’ hairdressing initiative which follows on from the earlier Green Salon Makeover project. Ecohair and Beauty is being led by a team from Southampton Business School, University of Southampton and is funded by the Economic Social and Research Council (ESRC). HABIA, the government approved standards setting body for the hairdressing industry, is a project partner alongside VTCT and City and Guilds.
Hairdressers are in a unique position, at the heart of the community, in what is a both intimate and influential role. The practices they model in the salon and the message they give to their clients about ‘greener’ behaviour has the potential to make the world of difference – quite literally – in helping to ensure the future sustainability of the planet – and also save money for both salons and clients.
Their website www.ecohairandbeauty.com is designed to be an open access resource for hairdressers, trainers and hairdressing colleges to enable them to adopt more sustainable practices. The focus is on products and practices that are good for the hair, and also save time and money as well as being more environmentally friendly.
Our top resources include :
- PowerPoint presentation http://ecohairandbeauty.com/powerpoint-educational-resource/ which covers general sustainability concepts as applied to the hairdressing sector and is suitable for trainers to use in class.
- Video clip covering eco-products (5mins)
- Video clip showing how to advise clients (7 mins)
- Carbon footprint of hair-care quiz which is a great activity for trainees to do as well as the general public. This includes the carbon footprint of hair-care calculator which is also available as a fun stand-alone activity
- Short surveys for trainees – these are a good training resource, as they are designed to raise awareness of issues such as waste: https://www.isurvey.soton.ac.uk/13666
- Survey for trainers: also raises awareness by asking questions https://www.isurvey.soton.ac.uk/13850
- Lists of eco product suppliers. Also many articles on sustainable hairdressing on the resources page http://ecohairandbeauty.com/resources/ http://ecohairandbeauty.com/7-ways-to-become-more-energy-efficient-and-saving-money/
- Sustainable salon tips
- Salon Waste Management
Ecohair and beauty are holding workshops to make trainers aware of these materials, and to book a free workshop get in contact ecohairandbeauty@soton.ac.uk .
What’s next?
The team are now working on a virtual interactive training salon http://bit.ly/2axlqzi which they will make available to training providers. They also hope to set up a bespoke certificate for sustainable stylists/salons in the new year. In the meantime anyone who attends one of their events can get a certificate of attendance which they can use towards certification once it becomes available.
To be kept up to date on latest news see Eco Hair’s Facebook page here and please and follow them on Twitter here.