Blue Cactus Has Gone Green!

With just a little effort, Wellington salon Blue Cactus is already reaping the benefits of a sustainable living and working practice put in place less than a year ago. A lower power bill, great client feedback and a much safer and healthier work environment. 

In 2010 Blue Cactus took out Wellington’s Top Shop Award in the Sustainable Retailing category, a reward managing director Larissa Macleman is extremely proud of. While Larissa agrees green purchasing choices can cost more and take time to influence the bottom line, both she and the Blue cactus team continue to strive to be activists for excellence.

"Sometimes a business is more than just about the bottom line; we believe we can make an impact no matter how small we are. Green is the new gorgeous as far as we are concerned.” Said Larissa.

There are a number of key initiatives in the salon’s Blue Cactus Goes Green campaign. They include power saving, water and detergent reduction, L’Oréal Professionnel’s INOA non-ammonia hair colour and Pureology home care, and a commitment to recycling and green purchasing.

"More efficient use of washing machines and tumbler driers has been instrumental in the reduced power bill. By using chemical-free products the workplace is a much healthier and safer environment for our staff. There’s been huge positive feedback from our clients who today are much more knowledgeable about what they are purchasing than they were only a few years ago. 

"Having the Pureology option in the salon is great. Clients feel confident in choosing Pureology and get excellent results. More and more they are choosing it so it has opened up a new market for us. Importantly, clients who previously could not colour their hair now have a safe and comfortable option in INOA and these are new sales too. So the benefits of going green may not all be financial but reach out across most aspects of what we do and how we live too.”  Larissa says.

Every two months salon staff introduce a new green initiative – the ninth is to support the World Wildlife Fund. Others not mentioned above include green purchasing choices and environmentally friendly stationery. All staff are encouraged to practise green activities both at work and away from the salon.

"We realised we could not do everything all at once as the business must carry on and grow and that’s why we have  a two-month process,” Larissa says. "If others are interested, my advice is to simply start in a small way and work on your green strategy a bit at a time.”