Unbelievably, the salon industry sends one and a half million kilos of recyclable aluminium to landfills every year in Australia and New Zealand alone. The bad news is that aluminium does not break down easily and can even contaminate the soil for up to 500 years. You can also add plastics, colour tubes, hair clippings and more to this ‘salon-generated’ waste.
Buoy Salon & Spa proudly does not contribute to that scary amount of environmental waste. In 2020, we joined the green initiative for the ‘feel-good’ industries, known as Sustainable Salons. And, you could say, we are just as committed to preserving the environment and having a positive impact as we are to creating salon-beautiful hair. At Buoy, sustainability is more than a commitment; it’s woven into everything we do. We have just become the first Sustainable Salon in New Zealand to accumulate enough "sustainability points" to receive a Fonzarelli e-scooter, a testament to our ongoing dedication to the cause.
Our impact so far has included:
- 187 kgs of hair donated to soak up oil spills.
- 714 kgs of plastics collected.
- 1,165 kgs of paper collected.
- 983 kg of metals were collected, then melted down or transformed into new products, ensuring that these materials are recycled multiple times.
All proceeds from metal and paper recycling sales are donated to OzHarvet and KiwiHarvest to fund meals for disadvantaged people. Sustainable Salons donates more than 5,500 meals every month, and Buoy has contributed 276,340 meals through the Sustainable Salons program so far.
Excess chemicals, such as peroxide, no longer contaminate the waterways; instead, they go to a chemical recycler to be neutralised into recycled water and then used in construction, roadworks, and community gardens. Plastics are repurposed and recycled into closed-loop products such as outdoor furniture, sunglasses, combes, etc.
Our collected ponytails are sent directly to charitable wigmakers and organisations that provide wigs to those suffering from alopecia or cancer. Hair clippings are made into Hair Blooms that can be used in oil-spill clean-up operations, OLED displays and even Hairy Soil.
All these initiatives minimise waste and help make meaningful contributions to our community and the environment. We’re proud to be a leader in environmental initiatives within our industry. We constantly seek ways to improve our practices and inspire others to do the same. Our commitment to the mission is steadfast, and we aim to continue reducing our environmental footprint and contribute positively to a more sustainable future.
Being a Buoy client means you’re doing your bit, too
We couldn’t do this without our clients. To participate in this green initiative, a $4 Green Fee is added to each service. This helps us responsibly recycle up to 95% of our salon resources, including hair, metals, and plastics, and ensure they are repurposed for environmental and community benefit rather than ending up in landfills.
So, if you ever needed another reason to feel fantastic walking out of Buoy – let this be it!
