One waste stream many might overlook is that from our own body. Almost everyone has hair and everyone needs it chopped. Ever wonder where where those mounds of hair you see at the barber shop end up? Well unfortunately most of the time the answer is the landfill where human hair is forced to decompose anaerobically leading to increased methane and C02 emissions).
Now salons are starting to become part of a change. A salon in Nashville gives you the option to send your hair to get Recycled and repurposed. Hair is very absorbent and fibrous and can be utilized in a number of industrial scenarios. This salon and salons around the country are pushing the boundary in social responsibility.
The idea that small businesses and Mom and Pop stores should share the responsibility in carbon footprint reduction is a relatively new one. Although we try to focus on this phenomenon in our Business Sustainability Blog, the trend is only in the beginning phase. At the core of our waste stream expertise we believe that reaching out to regional waste partners and starting a dialogue with recyclers is essential to creating a waste eco system.
Cleanlites in the past has worked with shops large and small to accept, provide and manage hard-to-recycle waste. This includes fibers, product recalls, chemicals, appliances and toiletries. We are proud of the sustainability network we have built and continue to grow. Taking a waste stream and following it to a sustainable end remains one of the most significant ways to reduce carbon footprint, reduce landfill metrics and increase sustainability and corporate image.
At Cleanlites we are committed to helping all clients realize their full potential in greening their waste stream whether it is with us or another recycler more perfectly fits their needs, we see the future of waste stream management not as a big competition but as a community and truly an ecosystem. Just as fibrous hair clippings can join a bio-network helping grow and revive our environment, the relationship between businesses of all sizes and waste management facilities can function similarly; symbiotically and beneficially.
