Innovation

Even before the inception of Koto Hair in 2009, owners Kristy and Tahleaha understood the importance of conducting business in harmony with the community and environment. In particular, they recognised that proper waste management needed to be an integral part of their business model. As Kristy said:

"When I took on my own business, as opposed to working for someone else, I really wanted waste management to be a priority by making sure that we recycled wherever possible but there wasn't a lot available to us."

The sisters felt that the bins provided by the council were not suitable for the recycling needs of their business. They came with no instructions about what waste needed to be recycled nor how to properly recycle them. They also knew that the items in the council bins do not always get recycled and a lot of it still ended up in the landfill.

Driven by their goal to reduce their waste and thereby their impact on the environment, they conducted further research and discovered Sustainable Salons Australia. This organisation collects the various types of salon waste and recycles them into products that can be reused. After signing up to the program, Koto Hair was able reduced waste sent to the landfill by 95%.

Besides their extensive waste reduction, they also took measures to save energy by installing LED lighting, turning off the lights whenever an area is not in use, sending all small cardboard boxes to the local childcare centre to be reused, taking food scraps home for their chickens, providing brewed coffee instead of using coffee pods and throwing out the coffee grounds into the soil for their lemon tree. These are small but effective steps to making their business operations more sustainable.

Lastly, they make a deliberate effort to purchase hairdressing products from companies that have sustainability inbuilt into their manufacturing process, such as products by Kevin Murphy.

Inspiration

Kristy's inspiration come from her children. In the past, her parents did not know much about sustainability and the importance of recycling. Therefore, she feels that it is important to serve as a good role model for them, especially since the salon industry generates approximately 1,500 tonnes of waste every year, which is a huge environmental problem.

Overall impact

By participating in the recycling program offered by Sustainable Salons Australia, Koto Hair is able to successfully recycle the following salon waste materials into reusable products:

• Hair: The hair that is swept up from the salon floors are collected in a separate bin to be used in hair booms that are used to clean up oil spills in the ocean.
• Ponytails: Clients who wish to donate their hair can do so by cutting out their ponytails which are then passed along to a children's charity to be made into wigs for children with alopecia and cancer.
• Chemicals: Chemical waste is converted back to clean water to be used for industrial activities such as manufacturing and building.
• Plastics: These are sent to a company called the Plastic Forest to be recycled into items such as walls.
• Metals: The biggest percentage of salon waste is recycled into metal products instead of being thrown into landfill.

Business benefit

By adopting sustainable practices and showing that they care for the environment and community that they operate in, Koto Hair is able to gain the respect of their clients and the community. They are a great example showing that small businesses can also make the choice to be more sustainable without having to fore go profitability. Also, with the growing awareness of sustainability, they will be able to attract customers who seek services that are less detrimental to the environment. It is the hope of both Kristy and Tahleaha that more salons would adopt sustainable practices, making it the norm in the industry.

Social and environmental benefit

Although the impact of each salon is small, the combined effect of thousands of salons is harmful to the environment. By taking responsibility for their waste, Koto Hair is taking a stand to combat climate change by reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills. With less waste breaking down and releasing harmful greenhouses gases such as methane, the air that we share will be cleaner and better for the planet as a whole.

Also by ensuring that their chemical waste is recycled and not released into water bodies, they are helping to sustain aquatic life. With lesser businesses polluting the oceans and seas, we will be able to save ecosystems from dying out, like the Great Barrier Reef.

Lastly, by donating ponytails to children who need them, they are ensuring that the hair does not go to waste but actually helps give a child a boost of confidence when they most need it.

Interview

Kristy, Owner