29 March 2024

Sustainable Living – Change for the Better

Salon owner, Zoë Rees, talks frankly about how she’s changed for the sake of our environment. She discusses why for her, like many others, sustainable living is so much more than just a trend; it is fast becoming a way of life for businesses and individuals alike; it is a lifestyle which is now recognised globally by many.

Sustainable Living

“The world around us is continuously changing. Each day there are new environmental factors emerging,” explains Zoë Rees of Bliss Hair Therapy. “New global warming indications come out and there’s a continual shift in carbon targets. All of these impact directly on those in every single local area in the UK; and more importantly Earth as a whole. The impact that these are having on the atmosphere is incredible. What many do not understand is the 360 degree effect this has; not only does the environment suffer, but we as individuals do too, the population as a whole. Also to consider is our health and that of our friends, family and future generations.

Sustainable Living

‘The more you don’t care about our environment, the more it will become polluted with contaminants and toxins that have a harmful impact on our health.’

“This statement resonated with me, it was a realisation of the potential impact of what we were doing as society. This wasn’t a free flowing life where everything was simple. We as a community need to look out for the environment. We must do what we can as a collective to reduce any potential harmful effects.

“Having recognised the importance of such topic upon reading this statement, a few years ago, I myself opted to live a much more sustainable lifestyle, doing what I could to lower the impact on the environment and work. I began recycling everything that I could, I donated instead of throwing away, conserving energy where possible. I also began using the car less and less – all of which are little efforts, but hugely help the environment. This for me was the first stage, the second, was to implement this into my business once I had researched thoroughly and looked at the options.

Creating an eco-friendly salon

“After consulting with my salon team, everyone was fully on board on making the salon as eco friendly as possible. Having read many articles on becoming more eco friendly and realising the importance of our environment for future generations, it was very clear that we wanted to be part of this act and do as much as we could to provide our clients and local area with a cleaner, natural and more eco friendly world. We wanted to be the first to proclaim our commitment to the cause and made every effort to do so.

“When looking at how to become more sustainable, as a business owner I was shocked. I couldn’t believe just how much there was in the salon to recycle and reuse. Simple things such as recycling colour tubes, foils, cardboard and food is an easy way to help the environment, it’s quick, easy and makes such an impact on landfill. Can you imagine how much cleaner our air would be if we all recycled everything in our households?

“I had contacted and teamed up with an industry organisation, The Green Salon Collective which is something I am really proud to be a part of. They help us recycle hair and chemicals alike, in a safe and non toxic manner. Our chosen product company Eleven Australia also share our sustainable beliefs and promote the same ethos as us – an important factor to any business.

Taking one step further towards sustainable living

“But this wasn’t enough. As the global pandemic took hold, I used the time to think about how I could go one step further in business, how I could work harder to help the environment and make a real statement in the local area of Alvechurch. It was at this point that I decided to refurbish the salon, in a way no local salon had done before. The salon was already a fully vegan, but I wanted to do so much more.

“I had never done a refit to this extent before. My goal was to become even more sustainable whilst offering high end luxury to the clients. The refurbishment includes a complete revamp of the salon, the installation of new eco-friendly lighting, the use of natural materials throughout including floors, furniture and the addition of gorgeous greenery all of which are actively recognised by the sustainable society. We have also applied for an alcohol licence, which would allow us to provide alcoholic beverages to their clients and bridal parties.

“For myself and the business, this wasn’t an egotistical change, this was to benefit our clients, our team and the world around us. It was time to make a stand for what we believe in and set a fantastic example for current and future generations . So why, you may ask, did we change for the sake of the environment? The simple answer is; to ensure you, your loved ones and the future generations live in a world that has the purest atmosphere, the cleanest environment and live a healthy and prolonged life.”

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