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Sustainability is big news in the beauty industry. While it might seem like it’s only something to think about if you manufacture or sell beauty products, that isn’t the case at all. Every business can be more sustainable, including clinics and salons.
Making your business more sustainable
Sustainability is something that gets mentioned a lot but what does it actually mean? In short, a sustainable business focuses on addressing the current needs of the business without making things worse for the next generation.
There are three pillars for sustainability: economic, environmental and social (also known as profits, planets and people). Balancing these out in your clinic can help your business to thrive and be profitable as well as socially conscious.
More and more customers are choosing businesses that are transparent about their commitment to sustainability, so being sustainable isn’t just an ethical decision. It can be profitable (as well as reduce your costs) too. Your potential customers care about how your business operates.
Why should you make your clinic more sustainable?
As well as being good for the environment and the world around us, a sustainable business model can grow your business too. You can reduce your costs, improve your reputation and attract clients who value a sustainable approach. This can help you to stand out against your competitors and support your marketing activity too.
Your clinic can even earn more money and boost your bottom line by making your business more sustainable and more viable in the longer term. Reduced business costs, more innovative strategies, an improved reputation and more new customers who value sustainability all work together to increase the amount of money that sustainable businesses can earn.
Sustainability can also have an impact on recruitment. In a competitive jobs market, showing your ethical and environmental commitment can make you stand above other organizations. This can help you to recruit and retain the best talent, and ensure that you attract people into your business who are aligned with your business goals and ethics. From a legal and regulatory perspective, there’s new legislation being introduced all the time about sustainability and committing to more environmentally friendly practices. It makes sense to get ahead of the game on this, so you’re not having to adapt in a rushed way and with extra costs. It’s always better to be prepared and ahead of the game.
Creating a more sustainable clinic space
Thinking about making your clinic more sustainable or being more mindful about how your business runs in an environmentally-friendly way? Here are some easy ways you can start to build a more eco-friendly and sustainable clinic space.
Go paperless
Paper records lead to more waste, more storage space, increased costs and the worry of data protection issues. Plus paper records can be lost, damaged or destroyed more easily than digital ones. In terms of sustainability, turning trees into paper takes more energy and releases C02 into the atmosphere. The trees that are cut down for paper aren’t able to help keep the air around us cleaner either.
Going paperless doesn’t have to feel like hard work. Setting your clinic up using Pabau means that paperless records, appointments, photos and forms are easy and means less admin time and less waste for your business. You can even check out how much money your business will save by going digital with our Paperless Savings Calculator.
Think about where else you use paper in your business. Is it time to ditch the printed price lists and go digital? It means less waste, more storage space and you can update them quickly and easily. Let’s be honest, most people start their clinic search online – as many as 97% according to research.
Choose sustainable supplies
Look for sustainable supplies for your clinic wherever you can. Whether that’s recycled paper for your brochures and price lists (if you keep printing them, that is), paper rather than plastic where possible or biodegradable soaps it all adds up to a business that supports the environment rather than creating excess waste that goes straight to landfill. Even uniforms can be made out of more environmentally friendly, natural fabrics rather than synthetic ones.
The pandemic has led to an increase in plastic waste from masks, PPE and single-use plastic items so by offsetting this in other areas you’re helping to reduce the uplift in unnecessary waste that can’t be recycled.
Look for sustainable supplies for your clinic wherever you can. Whether that’s recycled paper for your brochures and price lists (if you keep printing them, that is), paper rather than plastic where possible or biodegradable soaps it all adds up to a business that supports the environment rather than creating excess waste that goes straight to landfill. Even uniforms can be made out of more environmentally friendly, natural fabrics rather than synthetic ones.
The pandemic has led to an increase in plastic waste from masks, PPE and single-use plastic items so by offsetting this in other areas you’re helping to reduce the uplift in unnecessary waste that can’t be recycled.
Check the ingredients list
It’s important to keep an eye on what’s in the products you use in your client services. It’s easy to get comfortable with the same brand that you’ve used for years – sometimes suppliers change the way their materials are sourced or the ingredients that they use, and this isn’t always for the better.
If you’re committed to a more sustainable and eco-conscious clinic space, then it’s important to be aware of what’s in the products you’re using. This way you can make sure that they’re being extracted from ethical sources. The products you use in clinic are the backbone of every service, so if you’re moving towards sustainability then your services should reflect that too.
Recycle (where you can)
While there are some things in your clinic that you definitely can’t recycle, there are definitely things that you can too. Encourage your entire team to think about recycling as part of their working day and put recycling bins in clinic areas that waste can easily be placed into so they’re convenient to use.
TerraCycle is a great service for recycling beauty product packaging if you find you’re regularly throwing packaging away. You can even seek out an eco-friendly disposal system to get rid of any biomedical and chemical waste where the environment is not harmed in the process. While this is essential for safety and infection control, you can make sure the company takes the environment into account.
Save electricity and water
Being more energy efficient and careful with water use doesn’t need to mean compromising on client experience. You can switch to more energy-efficient light bulbs or swap them for LEDS, turn down the thermostat and make sure electronics are turned off at night to save energy. Making sure that windows are insulated and sealed can help your clinic space to feel warmer, and make them more energy-efficient too.
Being mindful of water wastage is also important. You can encourage your team to think about how they use water in the clinic and install water-saving devices in toilet or kitchen areas. This could save you money on water rates as well as being good for the environment. Water tanks and solar panels are also an option if you really want to go big on sustainability.
Choose an accessible location
If you’re already established and happy with your clinic space, this option might not be for you. But if you’re thinking about moving your clinic space elsewhere, think about sustainability as part of your plan. Choosing a location that’s accessible by public transport can mean that your team and your clients don’t need to rely on a car to get to you. You could even look at a cycle to work scheme for your team.
Choosing a new clinic location? You can even think about sustainable design for your clinic space. This could be about making it more energy efficient, going for biomass heating, using recycled and natural materials or working with local manufacturers to reduce your carbon footprint for delivery. If you have a fleet of company vehicles, then think about choosing more environmentally friendly vehicles such as electric cars.
Support sustainable initiatives
There are plenty of local and national initiatives that focus on sustainability, recycling and running a more environmentally friendly business. Whether that’s making a donation in support of social causes, planting trees to offset your carbon footprint or giving back to your community to support the environment, there are ways that clinics can get involved in making a difference to the world around them as a business.
Keep an eye on your local business community and industry networks for news on how to get involved and grants that businesses can use to create a more sustainable environment. There’s around £5 billion of funding available from the UK Government for businesses to become greener and reduce emissions – find out more at gov.uk.
Think local
Air miles and transport costs can seriously add up when it comes to sustainability. Fuel, carbon emissions, storage impact and pollution can have a significant effect on the environment so the less miles your stock, supplies or catering has to travel, the better. Look for local businesses to work with to provide your services or supplies to reduce your carbon footprint.
You’ll also be supporting the local economy and making connections in your local community which can be great for business too. Never underestimate the importance of building links in your local area, especially with businesses and partners who share your sustainable vision.
Is sustainability the future of the aesthetics industry?
There’s a focus on all businesses, including aesthetics clinics and salons, to be more sustainable, ethical and socially conscious. Getting ahead of the curve now can give your clinic a competitive advantage as well as the environmental benefits.
Sustainability looks like it’s here to stay in the beauty industry. It doesn’t need to be complicated or costly, there are some easy steps that you can take towards becoming more sustainable as a business today.
Find out how Pabau can help you go paperless and make your business more sustainable.
