1st March 2023

South Devon College is a proud member of the Green Salon Collective, a charity that delivers a solution to recycle all waste produced in hair salons.

That’s right, including hair, towels and metals. The Green Salon Collective operates a waste collection service that sees no waste go to landfill.

It’s well known that hair can be donated to make wigs but a hair salon accumulates a lot of hair that isn’t long enough for that. So, what are the other ways hair can be recycled?

The Green Salon Collective lists 10 ways they recycle hair. Methods include composting and gardening and hair is very absorbent so it can be used to clean up oil spills and polluted rivers across the UK and Ireland. Through regenerative biomanufacturing hair can also be combined with mycelium to create insulation panels, and more.You can find out even more ways hair is recycled by the Collective here.

As a member of the Green Salon Collective, you can also ensure 100% of your metals are being recycled no matter how dirty they are from hair products, and also have your biodegradable or compostable towels collected so you don’t run out of space to dispose of these when they’ve been used.

Sapphire Clennell, who works in the Hair and Beauty department at South Devon College, said: “The Green Salon Collective provide sacks and bags that are quite large. So, we’re able to collect a lot of waste before organising collection which minimises our carbon footprint.

“We talk a lot about the Green Salon Collective during lessons and it’s also very visual in our salons. We have GSC stickers, barcodes, and a poster with informative information about the Collective and how they work.

“Our students are aware of the Collective and what we’ve put in place with them here at the College and are recycling product or hair waste during their sessions. They are also aware we are trying our hardest to to be more ‘Green’ and eco-friendly. We hope that students continue with this attitude embedded in them as they embark on their careers in the hair industry.”

The Hair and Beauty department are hosting the South Devon College Hair and Beauty Show 2023 on 29th March and are hoping that the businesses that visit are inspired to join the College, not just for that day, but as a member of the Green Salon Collective to make salons across Torbay more eco-friendly.

To discover the talent of the next generation and the opportunities in this vibrant industry, book a ticket for South Devon College Hair and Beauty Show 2023. All proceeds will be given to suicide prevention charity, The Lions Barber Collective. Come along and show your support for this incredible charity and also the exciting future of the Hair and Beauty industry.

SDGs that align with this story

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

Click here to find out more about Sustainability at South Devon College.