Wintec | Te Pūkenga Hair Design ākonga explore zero-waste salon solutions
Image: Hair Design student Maddie Elliffe and tutors Michelle Caton and Samara Paulsen-Meehan in the fully functioning Wintec campus salon.
“It’s all about minimising the carbon footprint,” says Michelle Caton, tutor of the Hair Design Certificate at Wintec | Te Pūkenga.
“Everywhere we go and in everything we do, we’re thinking about raising awareness to minimise the impact on the environment and when students hear these ideas they’re keen to implement them.”
Eco-friendly salon practices cover a variety of applications: from conserving water by turning water taps off in between rinses to switching off electricity power points when not in use.
Caton says industry talks give students insight into the world of work they will enter, so when it comes to engaging students in sustainable approaches lessons are kept “hands-on and practical, but also connected with industry as much as possible".
Sustainable Salons are a social enterprise that help members reduce their impact on the planet and invest in local communities in Australia and New Zealand. Industry speaker Devon Tong from Sustainable Salons presented to students at the campus salon on 10 June 2021. This year, Courtney Clarivette - Customer Success Manager (Australia) presented via Zoom, sharing the sustainable concepts within their organisation.
Tong invited students to think about everything being used in the salon, including hair, metals, paper, glass, chemicals, cardboard, razors and tools. And how collected hair from the salon floor can be upcycled and made into hair booms which are used around the world for soaking up oil spills on land and sea. The hair booms can be used up to three times with the oil extracted and returned to the oil companies for re-use. The enterprise also has a ponytail hair collection system, where hair donations can be made to make medical wigs for those with medical conditions such as cancer or alopecia.
Pip Grundy, a recent guest speaker and Senior Hair Stylist at Zibido, delivered a talk with students about how her salon is part of Sustainable Salons.
“Pip has amazing energy and has been so inspiring for our students, it’s gives students a lot more context when they hear directly from someone in the workplace” says Caton.
Students taking the Wintec Te Pūkenga New Zealand Certificate in Hairdressing (Salon Support) will gain essential skills in hairdressing and salon operation, to prepare for an apprenticeship or entry position in the hairdressing industry. This programme includes 120 hours of work-based training in the real salon environment both at work placements offsite and at the campus, Urban Spa.
With part of the learning for Wintec | Te Pūkenga Hair Design students being dedicated to raising awareness in all areas that lead to waste in the salon space, students not only learn the key aspects needed to fit into a salon environment.
“They start to think bigger-picture about sustainably, and how they can make small changes for the environment,” says Caton.
Find out more about studying New Zealand Certificate in Hairdressing (Salon Support)
Learn more about how you can book an appointment at the Urban Spa.