HIDDEN AWAY in a street opposite Spitalfields Market is Adam Reed’s charming hair salon. The east London-based leading hairstylist has worked together with L’Oréal for around 30 years and been supported by the Green Salon Collective since opening his own salon.
So it only makes sense that for Earth Day, the three of them are working together through L’Oréal’s Hairstylists for the Future initiative to raise awareness about sustainable practices within the hairdressing community.
Leading hairdresser Adam Reed
As I enter the salon for my appointment, I am instantly immersed with a space that reflects Reed’s slogan Creatively Curious, Curiously Creative.
The hair salon is filled with second-hand and up-cycled decoration and furniture, the most striking piece being a chandelier created out of unusable hair pieces, cleverly called cHAIRdelier by Reed during our appointment.
A special piece of furniture is hidden in the salon’s restroom which features Reed’s old school desk that his mom rescued after the school had shut.
Adam Reed Hair Salon
Adam Reed’s salon is a tech free zone so customers are entertained through a selection of vintage archived magazines which are stacked away in a second-hand, wooden shelf unit. For thirsty clients, Reed offers locally sourced drinks which are often produced within close distance of the salon. Even the coffee ground are not wasted and find new purpose as compost in Reed’s garden.
Green Salon Collective hair waste bin
For Reed sustainability was a core priority when creating his salon, this was not only visible in the interior design but also in every detail of the hairdressing process. The Green Salon Collective, Reed tells me, makes being sustainable as a hairdresser easy and cost-effective.
The programme provides participating salons with clear instructions and different bins to recycle and dispose of waste properly. The biggest surprise for Reed was the Green Salon Collective’s usage of hair waste which they not only compost but also use to help with oil spills.
A significant toxic waste from hairdressers remains the hair dye which is often just washed down the sink, however the Green Salon Collective ensures the toxic product is disposed of in a sustainable way which does not contaminate waters.
Disposal of hair dye tubes
During our appointment, Reed explains to me that working with a big company such as L’Oréal has given him access to information and resources that small business usually do not have such as statistics on sustainability.
That’s why the Hairstylists for the Future programme is so important to him. Reed tells me that during his classes he teaches around the country, he makes sure to include a section on sustainability and this initiative specifically.
L’Oréal’s Hairstylists For The Future programme supports salons to become more sustainable by focusing on three principles – preserving natural resources, managing water usage and fighting climate change while applying it to the enviornment and its people. Through their online learning platform L’Oréal Access salons and stylists can access complimentary educational videos and toolkits to enable them to start their sustainability journey.
Adam Reed Hair Salon
Reed tells me that he also makes sure to educate his own customers on sustainable practices within his salon. When I ask him his tips for people at home to have a more sustainable haircare routine, he explains that the easiest thing to do is buy one great product that will work for many people within one household.
With his own hair product line he ensures that it is designed to provide good looking and healthy hair for everyone.
I leave Adam Reed’s hair salon not only with a great haircut but also with some new found knowledge on how much sustainable progress L’Oréal’s Hairstylists for the Future and the Green Salon Collective are achieving through hairdressers such as Adam Reed.
by Julie Heinisch