What Is the Green Circle Salons Project?
Green Circle Salons is the industry’s first sustainable salon solution dedicated to fighting beauty waste and climate change. It invites salons and spas to join a vibrant community of over 16,000 Waste Warriors in keeping people and the planet beautiful. Created by the Founder and CEO alongside beauty industry leaders, this award-winning program empowers salons to recover up to 95% of their beauty waste – including previously unrecoverable materials and hard-to-recycle items like hair clippings, foils, excess hair color, aerosol cans, and color tubes. The approach is both ethical and straightforward, ensuring that each salon not only gets to be green but also builds revenue, gains clients, and saves money while its own operations remain carbon neutral and sustainable.
Main Benefits of Green Circle Salons
This innovative project brings a multitude of impressive benefits that make it hard to ignore. Not only does it help reduce the staggering amount of beauty waste, it also creates a tangible impact within the community. Highlighted below are some key figures and facts:
- 877 LBS of beauty waste is generated per minute in the industry.
- Recovery rates of up to 95% for beauty waste – reclaiming materials that were once considered unrecoverable.
- A community of over 16,000 Waste Warriors working toward a more sustainable future.
- Member salons have access to programs that help build revenue, gain new clients, and invest in eco-friendly upgrades.
- Became B Corp and Zero Waste To Landfill Certified in 2019, meeting the highest standards of environmental and social responsibility.
- Launched the Carbon Neutral Salon Benefit in 2021 in partnership with ClimatePartner, ensuring each member offers carbon neutral services.
Journey and Legacy
The evolution of Green Circle Salons is a journey that began back in 2009. It all started when Shane Price, the Founder and CEO, began witnessing the beauty industry’s waste challenges firsthand – and he decided there had to be a better way. This passion combined with a science background led to the creation of the world’s first sustainable salon solution. In 2009, the first clients were onboarded in Toronto, Canada, marking the beginning of a legacy that soon included recycling hair, foils, plastic, and paper. Through innovative programs, the initiative supported disaster relief efforts in Haiti and the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, using recovered hair to create sleeping mats and oil booms – an effort undertaken during the devastating earthquake in Haiti and the subsequent oil spill in the Gulf.
Sustainable Values and Operations
The core values driving this project are as integral as the operational strategies themselves. The program’s ethos is summed up in inspiring phrases such as “think sustainably” – an invitation to be the change one wants to see in the world, making beauty truly beautiful. Alongside this, there is a strong commitment to “lead with a big heart”, reflecting actions imbued with courage, humility, and a profound respect for diversity and inclusion. The spirited approach is evident when challenges are seen as opportunities, carving new paths in a landscape that has often overlooked sustainability. This combination of values fuels an operational model that not only benefits salons and spas but also ensures that every internal practice maintains a commitment to carbon neutrality.
Eco-Friendly Initiatives and Personalized Programs
Green Circle Salons doesn’t stop at just being eco-friendly; it’s all about practical benefits and personalized opportunities for each client. Salons can look forward to a streamlined, cost-effective program where new revenue is generated each month, and targeted investments in cost-saving green technologies – like LED lighting and low-flow faucets – become a reality. It’s a system that rewards actionable steps towards sustainability, showing that going green can be both affordable and profitable. The program even breaks down the financial aspect into clear figures, such as the revenue generated per month, the amount sent to Green Circle Salons to cover program costs, and the funds available for upgrading to greener technologies. Everything is designed with clarity and ease in mind, ensuring a seamless transition to sustainable beauty practices.
Commitment to a Circular Economy
This project embodies the principles of a circular economy, where waste is minimized and every component is given a second life. The initiative highlights that beauty doesn’t have to come at the cost of the environment. Instead of everything being tossed into trash or sent to landfills, materials are repurposed, reused, and recycled, contributing to a sustainable lifecycle. Over time, recycling not only decreases waste but also plays a crucial role in minimizing climate change impacts. By turning discarded materials into valuable resources, the project stands as a testament to the power of sustainability – a reminder that even industries traditionally associated with waste can transform through collective action and innovative thinking.
Project Impact on the Environment
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- SDG 13: Climate Action
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Looking Forward
Green Circle Salons continues to pave the way for an eco-friendly future in the beauty industry. With each passing year, new programs and certifications – like the introduction of carbon neutral salon benefits – add fresh momentum to the movement. The vision remains steadfast: to transform beauty waste into a resource, reduce the environmental footprint of salons and spas, and ultimately promote a world where sustainability is at the heart of every beauty routine. The journey is ongoing, the impact is measurable, and the promise of a greener, more responsible industry remains a compelling vision for the future… a future where the ethos of circular economy and green innovation shines bright in every salon and spa around the globe.
