The Ed.
Well-Known Member
Jo Harding is 37, and last month she opened Cambridge's first eco-friendly salon. While most of us think that we're being green by recycling and cutting down on the amount of emails we print off, Harding is taking it to another level and by all accounts, she doing it mightily successfully.
"I think some people just don't realise how a hair salon's carbon footprint can be," says Harding. "Having worked at salons over the year, I saw so much wastage but it doesn't have to be like that," she tells cambridge-news.co.uk.
Harding's green ethos runs through every elements of her business. All her equipment is either upcycled or recycled and her gowns are lined with an old sofa throw. The salon's cushions are made from cut-up clothes and all cut hair is sent out as an aid to organic compost.
"Human hair is full of nutrients and makes a fantastic form of organic compost. All the hair I cut is disposed of as compost and then I tend to bike it out to people when they request it, all free of charge."
If her intentions regarding the environment weren't impressive enough, wait until you hear about her commitment to the community. She's dedicated to making a trip to the hairdressers accessible financially for all. "Haircuts used to be a necessity but now they are a luxury...I thought, 'Well, actually I'm in a position where I can afford to put prices lower and make it affordable to everybody. I know what it's like to struggle.'"
Harding also offers her services at charity events and fundraisers, gives free haircuts on birthdays, donates any profits (after wages and expenses) to charity and helps out local businesses by offering their loyal clients free haircuts.
What a refreshing approach. No?
Until then...geek on!
The Ed.
"I think some people just don't realise how a hair salon's carbon footprint can be," says Harding. "Having worked at salons over the year, I saw so much wastage but it doesn't have to be like that," she tells cambridge-news.co.uk.
Harding's green ethos runs through every elements of her business. All her equipment is either upcycled or recycled and her gowns are lined with an old sofa throw. The salon's cushions are made from cut-up clothes and all cut hair is sent out as an aid to organic compost.
"Human hair is full of nutrients and makes a fantastic form of organic compost. All the hair I cut is disposed of as compost and then I tend to bike it out to people when they request it, all free of charge."
If her intentions regarding the environment weren't impressive enough, wait until you hear about her commitment to the community. She's dedicated to making a trip to the hairdressers accessible financially for all. "Haircuts used to be a necessity but now they are a luxury...I thought, 'Well, actually I'm in a position where I can afford to put prices lower and make it affordable to everybody. I know what it's like to struggle.'"
Harding also offers her services at charity events and fundraisers, gives free haircuts on birthdays, donates any profits (after wages and expenses) to charity and helps out local businesses by offering their loyal clients free haircuts.
What a refreshing approach. No?
Until then...geek on!
The Ed.
