Hooge is committed to a code of values, the Aveda Mission, which guide us through culture in our business practices.
“Our mission at Aveda is to care for the world we live in, from the products we make to the ways in which we give back to society. At Aveda, we strive to set an example for environmental leadership and responsibility, not just in the world of beauty but around the world.”Horst M. Rechelbacher, Aveda Founder
Hooge has taken the commitment to the world we live in by upholding a higher standard for environmentally responsible practices. One of the ways we are holding ourselves accountable to the Aveda Mission is through our partnership with Green Circle Salons, a Canada- and California-based beauty recycling company. Hooge became Green Circle Salon certified in 2020.
The beauty industry generates a whopping 877 pounds of waste every minute. This means every day the beauty industry in North America produces more than 421,000 pounds of waste, and in 2019 the United States alone contributed more than 150 million pounds of waste in the form of un-recycled foil, toxic chemical waste, and plastic bottles.
The consequences of this waste span from mummified hair giving off methane gas in a landfill to excess chemicals from hair coloring, bleaching, perming and ammonia rinsing down the drain and into our water supply.
Thankfully, consumers are starting to drive the industry towards becoming more environmentally conscious, and Green Circle Salons is pushing the industry in a more eco-friendly direction. Green Circle Salons offer salons and spas the ability to recycle excess product, packaging and other waste. Guests can enjoy guilt-free services, and our team can take pride in knowing that their Salon has a lower environmental impact.
Hooge recycles all salon and spa waste that can be repurposed, including foils, hair clippings, hair dye tubes, excess hair dye, aerosol cans, plastic packaging and plastic gloves. Our recycling process starts at our color bar where stylists deposit waste into separate Green Circle containers to avoid recyclable waste from going into a landfill. The specialized waste containers are then collected by UPS carriers and taken to the Green Circle Salons warehouse for processing.
Green Circle Salons strive to repurpose and recover up to 95% of salon and spa waste. Recycled hair clippings, for example, often end up being used to manufacture pet beds or to contain oil spills. Another way Green Circle Salons use salon waste is in the waste- to-energy process, a function that generates electricity for homes and businesses. This recycling not only prevents pounds of waste from getting dumped in a landfill each day, but it also prevents chemicals from excess products (like hair dye) from being washed down the drain where it could contaminate our water supply. Additionally, recycling helps to alleviate the demand for extracting raw materials in the manufacturing of new products. This means less new plastic in our world. Plastic recycling is critical for the beauty industry, because plastic in landfills can take up to 1,000 years to decompose.
As the demand for green business and services rise, Hooge positions itself and its team as responsible stewards of the Earth, guided by our commitment to our mission. Aveda is one of Green Circle Salons more than 1500 affiliates. Our partnership with Green Circle Salons helps our Salon and Spa, as well our peers in the industry, become more sustainable. Clients can trust spas and salons with the Green Circle Salons certificate to be committed to the environment, and making the world a greener place.