Mason salon takes steps toward sustainability

MASON, Mich. (WILX) - Everyone gets their hair cut, but not every salon pairs style with sustainability. Every minute, the beauty industry sends 877 pounds of trash to the landfill in North America. Whether you’re getting your hair cut or colored, it’s less eco-friendly than you might think.

One salon in Mason cut waste out of their routine.

“I looked into it a couple of years ago, I knew we had a lot of waste, I just didn’t know the magnitude of it,” said Jena Keller, Salon 130 Owner.

Salon 130 in Mason wanted to make a change, but they didn’t know where to start.

“You kind of have to pass the cost along to your clients to be able to afford that, so that was my stopper, and I think that’s what hangs a lot of people up,” said Keller.

Once Keller discovered she could become a Green Circle Salon, the choice became clear. They became certified sustainable at the beginning of march.

“It’s pretty amazing because we can recycle the hair, we can recycle all of our single-use items, our gloves, our processing caps, anything we may use that’s a single use, post-it notes,” said Keller.

A haircut at Salon 130 gives you a new look, but it also gives 95% of their waste a new life. Hair can be used to clean up oil spills, foil to make car parts and bikes, and dye can be used for water and electricity. The list goes on.

“It’s just something that I think as a community in Mason, we are always looking to do,” Kellie Gillis, Salon 130 customer.

For customers, increasing sustainability comes with an increase in cost. They now charge an additional two dollars max, for what they call a “green fee.”

“Salon 130 and Jena keeps prices pretty pretty competitive, so one to two dollars more is nothing,” said Gillis.

Keller said Green Circle Salons made the transition easy, and community support made it even easier.

“They watch us sort everything out, and we have really good conversations about it. I’m grateful that it’s being so well received,” said Keller.

She hopes their sustainable style becomes mainstream in all salons. Salon 130 sends its waste to Green Circle Salons, to be recycled into a number of things from car parts to electricity.

Keller said they went from filling their big trash bin every day, to only filling half of it each week.

Read next:

Subscribe to our News 10 newsletter and receive the latest local news and weather straight to your email every morning.

Copyright 2023 WILX. All rights reserved.