FROM THE FOUNDERS | The Path to Progress

When used right, healthy income allows us to concentrate on what’s fruitful – ethically-minded business growth that creates jobs, products that advance the human race without destroying our habitat, and security for our next generation to live in a world where quality of life comes standard.

With this in mind, we built Sustainable Salons to be a proud social enterprise –

a purpose-driven organisation that applies commercial strategies to maximise improvements in financial, social and environmental wellbeing.” (Wikipedia)

We strongly embrace this and encourage our salon members wherever we can to adopt this model too, all in the name of building robust communities via local employment, supporting charities and those doing it tough (financially, resource-driven and through volunteering), while striving to minimise the salon industry’s impact on the planet.

The Sustainable Salons program backs the salon to make a sustainability commitment and provides them with all the tools they need to ensure their business practices are less harmful to the planet, their clients and their staff.

Sustainable Salons Founders Paul Frasca & Ewelina Soroko at their Sydney Depot

Photo: @bencookphoto

And this is where the Sustainable Salons Fee comes in.

For the first time this issue, we’re bringing it into the spotlight because we can’t believe we haven’t yet celebrated just how much good this little gold coin is doing!

In line with industry-standard sustainability thinking, we believe that we’re each responsible for the ethical disposal of any waste produced by a product or service we choose to consume. That’s exactly why Sustainable Salons makes it possible for each client to eliminate 95% of the negative impact of their salon service for just $2 on their final service bill (though we can’t wait for the day that sustainability can be built into every product and service as the norm… you can read more about this on page 3 and 4!).

So far that tiny gold goodness has helped us save more than 358,000kg of materials from landfill, provide 95,000+ meals to those doing it tough in our communities, collect upwards of 43,000 ponytails towards wigs for cancer and alopecia sufferers, offer purposeful work for people with a disability, and give our salon members a strong voice in their communities to fight for a better future for all. On page 6 and 7, we get loud and proud about just how powerful this $2 is and the greater impact you’re contributing to!

We’re incredibly inspired by the way our salons, their staff and loyal clientele not only embrace but also fiercely and passionately advocate for a healthier planet and people – we hope you’re super proud of your salon too; together you’re both making salon waste history!

Paul Frasca & Ewelina Soroko Co-Founders, Sustainable Salons