CHUK June 2019

Anne Veck
Anne Veck
change
In collaboration with Habia and VTCT, Dr
Baden has launched the Sustainable Stylist and
Salon certifications. A visit to the ‘virtual salon’
at ecohairandbeauty.com will see you visiting
the areas where the biggest changes can be
made, and answer questions along the way to
gain the certificate to show off to clients. About
100 salons and 1,500 stylists have been
awarded so far, and sustainability practices is
now one of the key compulsory teaching points
of new apprenticeships.
Anne Veck has committed to being green
with gusto. She has achieved Carbon Footprint
Standard CO 2
Neutral certification and is
now the UK’s first certified carbon-neutral
hairdresser. So what does that actually
mean? The Carbon Footprint Standard is an
independent certification of a company’s
energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
If you manage to achieve it, the certification
demonstrates that your company has not only
adopted best practice but has also shown real
achievements in managing and reducing its
carbon emissions and usage.
The Anne Veck salons use BlueGEN ceramic
fuel cell technology in Oxford to convert gas
to electricity, which helps heat water and
the building and reduces the salon’s energy
consumption by more than 50 per cent. The
salons also use infrared heaters made from
recycled materials, designed to consume 60
per cent less energy than standard convection
heaters and produce no CO 2
, all while
supporting a tree planting project in Kenya.
Heather Baker, co-owner of Masters of Craft in
Leeds, admits she hasn’t hit ‘peak sustainability’
yet but is working on it: “It’s a lifestyle for us, not just salon practice.” Her salon stocks
sustainable products and colour with Davines, reuses paint on the walls from a local
enterprise and had furniture custom-built from natural and recycled materials. Ecosanitary
products are even stocked in the bathroom. They have paired with other
businesses which align with their beliefs, including an ethical bank, host events with
guest speakers and talks highlighting the hair industry’s sustainable responsibility.
The Chapel, Marlow
“There’s much more awareness from consumers. They recognise brands
such as Pureology, which are making strides in sustainability while delivering
on performance,” explains Toby Dicker, co-founder of six-strong The Chapel
salon group. Switching to a sustainable energy provider is the first of many
changes taking place at The Chapel as it adapts to face global challenges to
the environment. “It was the right thing to do, even if it is slightly more expensive.
We’ve all got a part to play and a responsibility,” Toby argues. He went on to
explain that the business used a broker in order to link up with a new energy
supplier, Danish energy company Ørsted. Other initiatives offset increased costs,
including investing in new gloves for salon use that are sturdy enough be reused
for days, rather than going through multiple pairs on a daily basis. Established
recycling efforts include separating cardboard, metals (including foils) and
plastics, and investigating further initiatives such refilling.