For Tony, giving back is a lifestyle. Whether that’s to the people around him, the larger community or the environment, he’s ready to give a helping hand to all.
He believes strongly in the importance of community ties, saying, “I believe that clubs, schools and local organisations are the weaves that keep the fabric of our society together. So, we must be involved and contribute.” As well as his solid community values, Tony is a natural leader who’s always had a knack for being a decision maker. After watching his older brother take on a mayoral position, he was inspired to take the leap and run for mayor too.
“My life has always been about using my time to improve other people’s lives. Hairdressing, being in business and now local council are just vehicles to help me fulfil this goal.”
With a motive like this, you can be sure that Tony is putting his mayoral leadership to good use! Since being elected, he has been thinking up and implementing new ways to make Glen Eira as environmentally friendly as possible. He believes even the small acts are important, saying, “If we all contribute just a little bit we’ll make a huge difference. Think globally, act locally!”
And Tony’s certainly started making a difference wherever he can. He’s had Sustainable Salons in his salon since 2016, and everything that the Liana James team does is with sustainability in mind.
Tony tells us that before finding out about salon sustainability, it was easy to believe that the hairdressing industry had minimal impact on the environment, so his journey towards salon sustainability started with Refoil,
“Using Refoil, a brand of foil made from recycled aluminium, was our first big step towards sustainability. Once we realised that foil can be recycled again and again, it seemed ridiculous to use newly manufactured foil.”
And now he is the mayor, he has the council’s sights set on planning sustainable building projects, recycling water, and installing more solar panels to generate renewable power. With the help of his colleagues, they’ve set a goal to make the Glen Eira council completely carbon neutral by 2050! Now that’s one hell of a green goal!
He’s also making plans to begin recycling local food waste, bringing Glen Eira that much closer to waste freedom. “We would love to see a world where everything we use is used again and again and again! This world wouldn’t struggle with the issues we’re faced today. This is a world we would love to leave the next generation.”
Sustainable Salons Australia provides the most comprehensive waste free systems to the professional hairdressing industry. We collect and recycle 95% of a salon’s waste and reward the salon for their recycling efforts!
Contact us here if you’d like to become a member of Sustainable Salons Australia.
