Affordable Sustainability Tips for Canadian Salon Owners This Earth Month

Whether it’s reducing waste, rethinking day-to-day operations or choosing cleaner products, eco-conscious decisions are becoming an essential part of how modern salons operate. “As a hair salon, we find it hard to be fully sustainable because we’re using chemicals and foils,” says Crista Quijada, owner of Xtophers Salons in Vancouver. “The good thing is that we can partner with companies to recycle, so that makes me feel a little bit better. Plus, we measure our hair colour to reduce waste.” Finding Your “Why” Building a more sustainable salon begins with understanding your motivation and what impact you realistically want to make. Honing in on this “why” will help create a foundation for changes that feel intentional, achievable and true to your values. “For me, first and foremost, it comes down to leaving the planet better than we found it, which is not easy but is a good goal to strive for,” says Alicia Lumsden, owner of Toronto-based salon Queen’s Shop Fine Hairdressing, which was a finalist for Sustainability Achievement at the 2026 Contessa Awards. “That helped me have better health, body, mind—everything.” “I think it comes from my personal life and how I grew up,” adds Quijada. “Because I come […]