Going Green is Salon Chic

Winner of Very Small Business Award for Sustainability Practices: 2010

As the owner of Belle Epoque, we believe we can change the course of the high-resource and chemically dependent beauty industry. By implementing environmental practices as the core of our business practice, we can impact an industry at the local level through educating our clients, our colleagues, our competitors, and our community. We believe our practices continue to increase the demand for “green” hair salons and products without sacrificing the effectiveness of our services or our bottom line.

Employees in Portland metro area: 7
Type of business: Beauty/Hair Salon

Unique features:
First Salon/ Stylist Member in North America to participate in the Zero Impact program offered by Life Gate through Davines

Energy conservation:
Switched to soft white compact fluorescent light bulbs
Three rooms are on low-watt sensor only
Saved more than 8,000 kWh annually since 2008
Participated in Pacific Power’s Blue Sky Renewable Energy Program

Water efficiency:
Low-flow faucets
Filtered water system for pure, chemical free water flow.

Waste reduction:
Recycles hair clippings, aluminum foil and containers
Use biodegradable trash bags and compost-friendly water cups.

Alternative transportation:
Reduce all salon fees by 10 percent for any customer using alternative transportation
Lowered number of vender deliveries to two times per month.

Purchasing practices:
Use Davines as primary product line—Davines is ISO 9001 certified and uses 100 percent renewable energy.

Encouraging sustainability in others:
Educate customers ‘in the chair,’ on the web, and through other media channels about sustainable products and lifestyle choices

Promoting social equity:
Member of the Sustainable Business Network of Portland
Communicate with salon clients about how to enter a new era of environmentally safe beauty services

Community service:
Offer free styling services for fundraising events, such as fashion shows, to benefit Dove Lewis Animal Hospital.
Donate salon products and clothing to local women’s shelters
Participate in cut-a-thon events to raise money for friends with family crises.