2023 Recap with Salonvironment
Thayer Nature Center, Michigan
2023 has come to a close and year 3 of Salonvironment is just beginning. Sometimes I forget to take in the moments when they happen and I think using the excuse of a recap can keep everyone informed of what we're doing but also to relive these incredible moments.As a small company with 1 employee, there’s so much we want to get involved in, and a lot of learning of boundaries and limitations. But one thing is for certain, we wouldn’t be here without the support from our community and friends. We are absolutely floored with the sheer amount of love that we regularly receive. I didn’t know that while I would take on this mission to help the beauty industry that it would also be a self-healing journey for myself as well, as someone who deals with imposter syndrome and can be avoidant.
Thank you all for an incredible 2023, let’s recap what we did this year!
Events
Salon + CO's Salon Palooza
An event for professionals in the beauty industry (and some that are adjacent to) to meet new friends, build existing relationships, and explore new services! Salon + CO threw this party for a chance for everyone in the beauty industry in Michigan to network and have a fun time together.
Replanting Event with Salon + CO & Better Beauty Collective
I teamed up with Salon + CO West Bloomfield and Shelby Township & Better Beauty Collective to host our “rePLANTING” event, where we took salon waste and propagated plants to make potted plants for ourselves, friends, and clients!
Johnson Nature Center’s Eco-Frenzy
This was Johnson Nature Center’s first Eco-Frenzy where we tabled to collect recycling and tell friends about our mission at Salonvironment, alongside other friends that believe in climate activism and art! We love Johnson Nature Center and the work they do to preserve a beautiful piece of land and it’s inhabitants.
Trash Clean Up with Cleanup Club
We partnered with The Cleanup Club to bring friends together to clean up a part of Ferndale/Detroit and make our city a little bit cleaner, an incredible non-profit organization that’s dedicated to educating others about pollution in the Great Lakes as well as helping our community.
Successful Stylist with A Spencer Gellise Salon
We tabled with A Spencer Gellise Salon at their Successful Stylist event, which was all about how stylists and salon owners can elevate their business; plus a thoughtful roundtable discussion on what some personal obstacles we face as beauty professionals. We got to talk to a lot of students as AND even collect beauty waste recycling at this event!
Kismet Studio’s Community Event (May & September)
We love working with Kismet Studio and Hay Monsters Sanctuary anytime we can! We threw two events this year that wanted to support different communities in Michigan.This event included Kismet Studio hosting their clothing swap and donating the left over clothes to Purple Heart and Safe Haven House. Hay Monsters Sanctuary collecting old towels and teeshirts, deposit cans, and any other items that would help the bunnies that they rescue. We held space for beauty professionals to recycle discarded foil, aerosol cans, and broken hot tools for recycling - but also took unopened products and gently used hot tools for donation.
Climate Roundtable at Kismet Studio Salon
From an event change as a panel talk about the Inflation Reduction Act to a discussion about sustainability being a privilege in most areas of Michigan. How can we make “sustainability” a baseline if most communities can’t even afford necessities or are provided basic services? We were lucky to be joined by West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum, Mint Hair Crafting Salon, and Kismet Studio.
Business & Bubbly
Year 2 for B&B by the lovely Mariah (The Life Coach for Hairstylists) and Salon + CO! Networking, panelists sharing their knowledge for beauty professionals, as well as giveaway options. We participated by giving away a box of personalized recycling signs, a pair of our lashes, and our Recycling Notes guide workbook.
Eco-Frenzy Tabling Event
Kismet Studio Community Event + Our Recycling
Recycling
Friends
This year we were honored to help Kismet Studio recycle their waste all year and Salon + CO Shelby Township recycle their waste for the beginning part of the year with our BETA recycling pick up program.
This included plastic, foil, paper, glass, and empty aerosols.
We also diverted a ton of aerosols for our friends at A Spencer Gellise Salon.
Programs
We also revamped our original recycling program with a new twist to something more manageable, but still wanted to take action at events we were tabling at. However, keep your eyes peeled as we might be expanding our recycling program again to something more of a community based program (which is what we wanted to do back in 2021)!
We collected empty aerosols, expired haircare products, gently used hot tools, and broken hot tools.
New Additions
Newsletter
We started our newsletter in February! We email our list once a month with education based on beauty x sustainablity, updates, and upcoming community events that bring together climate activists and beauty pros.
You can sign up for it here.
Lashes
We launched our PNW: Gen 2 plant based lashes this year! Coming in packs of 4 - it's a great way to cut down on shipping, materials, saves money, and is great for makeup artists or for yourself! It has all of our original qualities as well; such as being made from cannabis, fully compostable, fully recyclable packaging, reusable, and great for sensitive skin. It is available for bulk buying for your business retail OR as an individual.
Classes
We taught our first in-salon classes this year! We love to think of classes more so as “roundtables”, I'm not here to tell you what to do - but different ways you can accomplish what you’d like to put into action. The classes from this year focused more on salon recycling and how it can be done logistically (plus your local resources)!
“Oregon” Lashes pictured here
Class with A Spencer Gellise Salon
Partnerships
Stripe Climate
Since we switched Stripe as our payment system, we set up with their Stripe Climate Program - which takes 1% of each transaction to go towards 31 different climate innovations that support carbon removal.
Green Beauty Community
Our sister company has been going strong since May! Green Beauty Community is all about providing a platform and a place where beauty professionals that care about the environment can connect (on any level that they are on). Watch out for us in 2024 with the new projects coming underway! Read more about GBC here and sign up today!.
DIP Haircare
We freaking love DIP. That's all. They are environmental activists dressed up as a haircare company. Their products speak for themselves (as do their customers)! We are an affiliate* with them to help others switch to it to try (10% off here) but both DIP and I are also big advocates to go and buy them from your local Zero Waste/Refillery Store.
(We get commission from them through the link above)
As we are settling down for 2023, we are looking back with so much gratitude. Without community, how can we make the difference in the world that we want to see? Let alone the industry itself?
We are ready for 2024 and continuing to expand the support further!