The panelists for this event were:
Darrin Duber-Smith, Kristin Chou, Jerry Gordon, Geno “the closer” Stampora, Frederic Holzberger,
Davide Bollati and Mary Beth Janssen.

Here are just a few ideas based on Cosmetologists
Chicago’s three key elements of sustainability for
salons – 1) continued economic development to
sustain our businesses, 2) social progress to support and protect our communities and 3) an active and involved concern for the environment that will maintain the earth as we know it.

Economic development to sustain our businesses:
Review your supply chain. The choices we make
support a long line of decisions. Take the time to
find out more about those you do business with and
their commitment to sustainability. Kristin Chou
Attain profitability through a thriving salon/spa
business that generates income up to $1000 per
square foot. Maximize your current space and do
not expand until you are operating at least at 80%
capacity. Frederic Holzberger

Save water: Keep water tap closed to save water
while massaging in color, shampoo or conditioner.
One drop of water wasted every two seconds
equals 4,000 liters annually. Installing a water
flow regulator at the faucet can reduce monthly
water bill by 50%. Davide Bollati

Recycle everything possible—even your empty
(aluminum) color tubes. Aluminum has a 99%
recycling rate. Recycling just one aluminum soda
can save the same amount of energy it takes to run
a TV for three full hours. Mary Beth Janssen

Support and protect our communities
Inspire your customers. Your business is based on
your relationship with your customers. Share your
eco-activism with them. You may become their
source of inspiration for both beauty and sustainable business practices. Davide Bollati

Share your services. Perhaps once a month or once
a quarter, you can share your services or products
with people who would not typically experience
them. Reach out to your community. Kristin Chou

Campaign to actively encourage all your staff and
salon/spa guests to not only register to vote, but to
act on their right to vote on Election Day—whether
for local, state or national elections.
Frederic Holzberger

Make some or all of the power to run your salon
generated by green/renewable technologies (wind,
solar, geothermal, hydropower, landfill gas, biomass, etc.) Check with your local government
regarding any tax incentives that might be offered.
Mary Beth Janssen

An active and involved concern for the environment
Buy things that last. Reduce waste by buying
items for your salon that are designed well and
built to last. It may be more convenient to purchase
disposables, but the consequence is an enormous amount of physical waste as well as lost
of energy needed to produce and break it down.
Davide Bollati

Wash all your salon laundry in warm or cold water
instead of hot. The energy savings are tremendous
and prevents millions of tons of CO2 emissions.
Change all light bulbs where possible to CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulbs or LED lights. They
use about 66 percent less energy and last up to 10
times longer than conventional. Switch to recycled
toilet paper, napkins and tissues.
Mary Beth Janssen

Make more intelligent decisions regarding
environmental product choices for all your
cleaning and laundering as well as the products
used to perform services on your guests.
Frederic Holzberger

Bring plants into the salon as a visual reminder to
encourage caring, respect and value. Kristin Chou

“You are the reason young people will join
our profession. Passion – pass it on!”
David Raccuglia

Come see the Salon Sustainability Summit in person! It’s back for its second year at
America’s Beauty Show at McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois on March 28 – 30, 2009.
It will be co-located with America’s Expo for Skin Care & Spa. Find out more and to register at http://www.AmericaBeautyShow.com.

-Kristen