At Orenda Hair, we are not just about making you look great. We are also committed to sustainability and social responsibility. We believe that beauty should not come at the cost of the planet. That's why we make sure the products we use in the salon are from companies that share our commitment to sustainability. And that's why we are members of Sustainable Salons, an organisation that helps salons across Australia and New Zealand to recycle, reuse, and repurpose their waste.
Through our partnership with Sustainable Salons, we're able to divert 95% of our salon waste from landfill. Instead, it's collected and sent to be recycled or up cycled into new products and to support charitable organisations.
Let's take a closer look at what happens to this waste once it is collected from the salon, where it goes, and who it helps.
Let's take a closer look at what happens to this waste, once it is collected form the salon and where it goes and who it help
Plastic Waste: A New Life
We all know that plastic is one of the biggest environmental hazards, and it can take hundreds of years to break down. That's why at Orenda Hair, we ensure that all our plastic bottles, packaging, and bags are collected and sent to plastic recyclers. Here, they are cleaned and made into new products and packaging.
Some of the businesses that have partnered with Sustainable Salons and their products are:
Dresden Vision, who use the plastic to make sunglasses.
Defty Designs, who make toothbrush and pen holders, shower combs, plant pots, dog leashes, and coasters.
We also love that the Kevin Murphy products we use and recommend are packaged in packaging that is recyclable or biodegradable and, in some cases, from recycled ocean waste plastic.
By recycling our plastic waste, we are giving it a new life and preventing it from polluting our land and oceans
Metal Waste: A Second Life
All metal waste, including balls of scrunched-up foil and colour tubes, gets thrown into a baling machine at the depot, which then crushes and compresses it, wraps it in recycled cardboard to protect it before it gets sent to our metal recycling partners.
The scrap metal is then shredded and melted into blocks, ingots, or sheets to be sold back to manufacturers. By recycling our metal waste, it saves natural resources by reducing the need to extract and process raw materials.
Chemical Waste: A Second Chance
Did you know that 95% of salon chemical waste is actually water? Instead of all these chemicals being rinsed down the sink and polluting our waterways, we send them to a chemical recycler who either centrifuges them to separate the water content or chemically rebalances them so that they become usable recycled water!
The excess 2-3% of chemical waste is properly disposed of by incineration, not sent to landfill. The recycled water is then used for construction and manufacturing by local councils for watering gardens and flushing toilets.
By properly disposing of salon chemical waste in this way, we are reducing the amount of harmful chemicals that end up in our water and landfills, which can be harmful to both the environment and our health.
Paper Waste: A New Beginning
Paper is one of, if not the most well-known recyclable material and can be recycled multiple times. At Orenda Hair, we send all our paper waste to a specialised recycling partner who grades, sorts, shreds, and bales it. These bales then get sent to paper mills to make new, recycled paper products.
By recycling our paper waste, we are not only reducing our environmental impact but also conserving trees and natural resources.
Hair Waste: A Surprising Solution
Hair is one of the most underestimated renewable resources out there. That's why Sustainable Salons has done the research and developed new ways to use recycled hair, such as:
Oil adsorbing booms: Hair booms are a highly effective, organic alternative to synthetic booms that are commonly used to clean up oil spills. A standard boom can soak up to 4L of oil and can even be drained and reused up to two more times.
High-grade fertilizer: Hair contains high levels of nitrogen, which is essential for plant growth. The hair is collected, cleaned, and then composted to create a nutrient-rich soil amendment. This recycled hair can be used to grow vegetables, fruits, and flowers.
Hair donations If you're thinking of having a big chop, we collect your ponytails and pass them on to Sustainable Salons, who send ponytails directly to wig makers and to charitable organisations such as Variety and the Australian Alopecia Areata Foundation to be made into charitable wigs or to fund life-programs that change the lives for those suffering from medically-induced hair loss. We accept the following hair:
Hair from people of any age, gender, hair type, and hair colour
Chemically processed or coloured hair
Curly hair ponytails are accepted, but must meet the minimum 20cm length
100% human hair extensions, as originally verified and labeled by the product supplier.
Recycling profits: feeding the homeless
The Aluminium foil, colour tubes, paper, magazines, razor blades and broken tools that are collected are sold for recycling the proceeds are then donated to OZHARVEST , an organisation which delivers food to 600 charities across Australia, free of charge
the sustainable salons network donates more than 2000 meals every month.
Who would have thought you can help provide meals to people in need, just by getting your hair done?
Your Contribution
Each time you visit the salon your service includes a small sustainable fee of just $3. that helps us to keep our commitment to sustainability. For the price of a coffee your contribution makes a big difference. It reduced the impact of your service on the environment, benefits a range of charities and social change organisations in our community.
So each time you visit you can feel good about doing good.
At Orenda Hair, we are committed to providing high-quality hairdressing services while also prioritising the well-being of our planet.
By implementing sustainable practices and partnering with organisations like Sustainable Salons Australia, we are doing our part to reduce waste, conserve resources, and create a better future for our community and planet.
Together, we can create a more sustainable and beautiful world.