Salons & Beauty Schools Go Green
Hair Salons, beauty schools, cosmetology schools, hair schools, and even barber schools are joining the environmental move to reduce emissions and lower carbon footprints. Here are ways a beauty school can modify an existing facility or include green construction ideas in a new building.
There are many ways of going green in the beauty industy. Influential businesses like Paul Mitchell are retro-fitting existing beauty schools or constructing new beauty schools, cosmetology schools, and hair schools in a manner to lessen their carbon footprints.
Energy Efficiency in Beauty School
According to Carbon Footprint, “Low energy light bulbs use less than 20% of the energy of a conventional light bulb, and can last up to 15 times longer.” Switching regular light bulbs to compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) or LED light bulbs is a smart move for beauty schools. The switch helps conserve energy, and disposing of these types of bulbs is safer. Installing LED light exterior signs to replace older technology neon lights also saves electricity, as do timers and motion sensors.
Laundries
Laundries are a natural area for greening hair schools. This is achieved by replacing aging equipment with high efficiency washers and energy-saving dryers. By combining these low emission appliances with the purchase of all natural cleaning products and soaps, hair schools reduce energy requirements. Replacing synthetic towels and linens with items made from organic or natural fibers is another positive way of going green in beauty school. The finishing touch is using cloth capes instead of vinyl – better for customers and the environment.
Bathrooms
Low-flow faucet aerators reduce water waste and consumption. Equip these aerators with water sensors to boost savings while lowering energy costs – less energy is needed to heat the water. Foot operated faucets are another option – the price of installation is offset in future years by the cost and energy savings. Add a low flush toilet and score high grades for going green in beauty schools.
The environmentally friendliness does not stop there. Beauty schools are stocking bathrooms with toilet paper and paper towels made from unbleached paper products or manufactured from recycled products.
Offices
Here are a tips from schools for cosmetology about creating eco-friendly office spaces:
- Buy a battery recharger unit and use rechargeable batteries.
- Use unbleached paper coffee filters and paper towels.
- Print newsletters, letterhead, assignments, hand-outs, and tests on recycled paper using soy inks.
- Furnish conveniently located recycling bins for paper, plastic, glass, cans, newspapers and magazines.
- Recycle toner and ink cartridges, and use refilling kits rather than buying new supplies.
- Buy recycled copier paper, make two-sided copies when possible, and use scrap paper for scratch pads.
- Precyle when purchasing products by choosing items with little or no packaging waste.
Product Lines
Making the switch to natural or organic beauty products helps beauty schools who are going green. Many beauty schools are voluntarily banning the use of products containing formaldehyde or dibutyl phthalate (DBP). These chemicals are toxic to humans, and present disposal problems as hazardous waste. A beauty college purchasing agent can evaluate and buy eco-friendly cleaning products and help the school reduce its environmental impact.
Going green in beauty schools is a trend benefiting the environment and mankind. Do your part – when patronizing local cosmetology schools, hair schools, or beauty schools, ask them: “How are you participating in the process of protecting the environment and reducing pollution?”
Sources:
Carbon Footprint, Low Energy Light Bulbs, http://www.carbonfootprint.com/lightbulbs.html, accessed 02/03/2010
Paul Mitchell the School, http://www.beautyschool.com/schools/details/paul-mitchell-the-school-nashville
Tags: beauty school, hairdressing, styling shears
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