Salon Sustainability – How to Effectively Separating Waste in the Salon

By Hannah Craik | Salonvironment

If you’re reading this, you’re taking the step to become more efficient with your waste disposal in the salon, that’s fantastic! We know how crazy life gets during days spent in the salon. To create a new habit (even if it’s disposing of your waste differently) can be hard to obtain when you’re not sure where to begin or where to go. This article is to help you effectively separate your waste and keep your trash bill low simultaneously.

The first step is to have bins for each material. It might seem like a lot, but this means you can have smaller bins since you’re separating your trash into smaller amounts instead of one big bin. Plus, when it’s time to get rid of those throwaways, it’ll be easier to get rid of them. 

I have found the best way to keep your trash organized and clean is to separate by:

• Plastic bottles
• Glass
• Aluminum
• Paper & Cardboard
• Plastic Packaging
• Hair
• Aerosols 

Do you need to have all of these bins? No! You can have as many bins as you’re comfortable with. If that means only 1 or 2 bins, that’s ok. We all start somewhere, the fact you are starting at all is a big deal. If you decide you want to get a little more brave and try a few more items to recycle then that’s great too.

Let’s go over on what you can and cannot put in each bin:

• Plastic bottles
  • Beauty Product Bottles
  • Cosmetic Product Containers
  • Drink Bottles

Hard plastic with a number next to the recycling symbol on the bottom of the bottle will tell you what kind of plastic it is. Check with who is taking your recycling and make sure they take that type of plastic. Plastics go from #1-#7, beauty product bottles usually are a #2, which is highly recyclable and usually accepted. Don’t throw a bottle in the bin if it doesn’t have a number, even if it has the recycling logo on it.

Accepted at your local recycling center. 

• Glass
  • Product Containers
  • Drink Bottles

Accepted at your local recycling center.

• Aluminum
  • Used Foil
  • Empty Color Tubes (without the cap)
  • Beverage Cans

Check to see what scrap metal business won’t mind the chemicals, they’ll take your aluminum and you can even make a few dollars out of it.

Accepted at your local scrap metal business.

• Paper & Cardboard
  • Office Paper (not shredded)
  • Color Tubes Boxes 
  • Shipping Boxes (probably will need to be broken down)

Color Tube Boxes are accepted depending on your recycler, not all companies take glossy cardboard. If they take cereal boxes, they will take tube boxes. 

Accepted at your local recycling center.

• Plastic Packaging
  • Plastic Shopping Bags
  • Airbags
  • Bubble Wrap

Accepted at your local department store chain. 

You can find a place near you with the Plastic Film Recycling map.

• Hair

This one is interesting, it’s said you can compost a small amount of hair, but probably not a whole ton. Especially with products coating the hair that are great in your soil. But, it’s great to use as an animal deterrent in gardens! If you talk to any local community gardens or farmers, they might want to take that hair off of you.

• Aerosols 

Depending on your community recycling guidelines, other businesses that focus on recycling might accept them. You can find out easier with Earth911.

Other tips to keep everything running smoothly:

Keeping these all separated will make it easier to not cross contaminate. Let’s say you throw a bunch of dirty plastic bottles in with your paper, there’s a good chance you’ll get there paper dirty and then it becomes unrecyclable. 

Keep in mind to rinse, dry, and empty your containers like your shampoo bottles. This will help with smell and keeping everything neat. You can’t clean aerosol cans on the inside, but make sure they are empty.

Compress your trash as much as possible to save room. Step on the bottles to see if they’ll give out a bit, condense your used foils by smashing them down, and so forth. 

Putting signs on the bins is a MUST! Even if you have a great memory, you already have a lot going on while you’re servicing your clients. Make it easy on yourself and label your bins.

A few of my services include helping stylists set up their system like this one, but I’m hoping this article will empower others to try it themselves. Once you get into the rhythm, you can expand in ways you didn’t think possible. It’s a great way to market yourself and show the people you serve that you care about them beyond the chair, because you care about their home as well. 
Original Link: https://www.salonvironment.com/blog-articles/a-stylists-guide-effectively-separating-waste-in-the-salon