1) When did you start to take sustainability in your business seriously? Stress free, environment friendly has been our culture and aim since Original & Mineral was born 16 years ago. Alan Buki for O&M.syd is the flagship store for Original & Mineral. The salon has been chemically and environmentally conscious since we launched four years ago as a purpose built salon. We have systems in place to help minimise our effect on the environment and are constantly looking for innovative ways to make the salon as sustainable as we can. Currently insalon we have water saving tabs with in-built treatment pods, energy saving lights, eco friendly towels and Refoil. Original & Mineral, our in house created and owned product has carefully bridged the gap between natural and luxury, pioneering the Clean Colour Technology system that offers the professional hairdresser and our clients, ammonia, PPD and resorcinol free colour solutions for professional hairdressers and their clients. Stress free heads and stress free waterways.
2) What are the most important environmental considerations in your business? To keep the salon operating at its prime, we need a lot of water and energy. Sustainable Salons Australia has made it achievable by becoming more aware and in tune with our day to day habits. Eco Heads, LED lights, toxic waste and most importantly landfill. We receive a great deal of cardboard and plastic from product delivery, though it's definitely an everyday task. I believe this is something which needs to be reconfigured as it overloads the system.
3) How do you get the staff involved and make them participate in your strategies? The staff love the concept and love pushing it to the next level. From being the original ammonia-free based salon, it is the culture of the business. Staff understand nasties and try to keep the salon as ‘clean’ as possible. Everyone in house is consistently involved in making sure sorting is maintained, product waste is at minimal and they are helping each other out with sourcing to the right bin! Sustainable Salons Australia have provided such fantastic education both on their website and in person, which makes it really easy for my team to understand why they’re doing and how to better educate our clients.
4) What’s your advice for other business owners who don’t know where to start with recycling and sustainability? Get started, the world is changing, we need more sustainable, natural and environmentally friendly solutions. This is so important for our industry! Give Paul a call! Start by small steps, talk to your clients, get them involved, they love hearing about it! Let's make a change for our future generation of hairdressers and business owners to adopt this valued mindset and priority to minimise any effect our activities have on the environment!
5) What are your business goals in terms of sustainability? To minimise waste of paper and product, especially landfill. We continually strive to create awareness in our community of clients, friends and family about these changes we as a salon are making. It is a simple but effective and powerful change which not only impacts today but future generations. Thank you to Alan Buki for a fabulous interview & feedback on the Sustainable Salons Australia Program.
