Salon Cure in Windsor signs recycling deal with Green Circle Salons

An east Windsor hair salon has gone green and we're not talking funky new hair dye.

Last month, Salon Cure at 6525 Wyandotte St. E. became what is believed to be the first salon in the area to sign up with a company in Toronto to recycle waste that cannot be recycled in a blue box.

"We noticed the impact immediately," said owner Christine Withington. "Before, we'd have Herby Curby's full of garbage and today we put out less than a full bag of garbage," she said.

Withington's salon is one of 1,000 salons across North America to sign with Green Circle Salons, which take used foil from hair colouring procedures, metal hair colour tubes, left over hair dye and even the hair itself.

"They make hair booms with it to clean up oil spills in our rivers, oceans and lakes," said Withington.

Shane Price, President of Green Circle Salons claims the company is able to divert 8595 per cent of the waste collected in salons away from the landfill.

In the last year alone Green Circle Salons recycled over 250,000 kg of waste across North America.

There are still some things Green Circle Salons can't yet recycle, including esthetician's equipment, like makeup applicators, waxing equipment and the byproducts of pedicures and manicures.

Withington is proud of the accomplishment, and says all salons should be doing this. She says chemical hair colouring, which would normally be flushed down the drain, is now being diverted.

There is a cost to the salon and the consumer.

The cost of having the company pick the waste up and truckit to Toronto adds $1 to the price of a haircut and $2 to the price of a chemical treatment such as colouring.

Withington says customers aren't complaining.

"So far, our customers are very excited about this opportunity, as well," she said. "It is something very positive we can do. Why shouldn't we?"