Background
Green Circle Salons was founded in 2009 by Shane Price, President and Chief Executive Officer. He saw a need to help salons throughout the Greater Toronto and Golden Horseshoe area green their businesses, reduce their environmental footprint and keep hair colour products and chemicals out of the waste stream.
Taking action
Green Circle Salons has implemented a range of activities to help salons divert waste and incorporate green practices, including:
- A comprehensive recycling program to divert waste products such as hair, foil, colour tubes, plastics, paper and excess chemicals from Ontario’s landfills.
- Launching a collection program to keep chemicals from going down the drain.
- Forming the Environmental Contribution Initiative, a funding tool that provides an incentive to use green products. Customers are charged an additional $1 per visit to pay for waste recovery services and other green initiatives.
- Offering a range of best-in-class eco-friendly products and service suppliers to salons.
- Collaborating with researchers from the University of Guelph to investigate the use of hair in sustainable agriculture practices, specifically for weed control.
Achieving results
- Increased waste diversion: 75 to 85 per cent of salon waste is recycled or repurposed under the Green Circle Salons program.
- Reduced chemical exposure for clients and salon employees.
- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by purchasing carbon offsets.
- Diversion of chemicals from the waste stream.
Green Circle Salons helped its customers increase sales and revenue, support change and demonstrate that transforming a salon business to be more sustainable is affordable and achievable.
The company is now working towards building a consortium of salons that are leaders in corporate responsibility, sustainability and green initiatives.
