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Color Waste Trumps Trash on the Sustainability Worry List
When asked what their biggest concerns about the salon waste and the environment, 43% of respondents said color waste, which trumps trash for the first time in the Sustainability in the Beauty Industry Report. Sustain Beauty Co's Valorie Tate offers tips to better manage color waste.
by Su Clark
January 28, 2026
In the latest Sustainability in the Beauty Industry report, color waste trumps trash for the first time as a top concern. Sustain Beauty Co's Valorie Tate offers tips for managing color waste.
Eco Salon
3 min to read
Squeezing color into a bowl until it looks about right won’t wash these days, not now the industry has woken up to how much is wasted at every service. Suddenly, we are aware of how many ounces are dumped down the drain and how any additional color can quickly add up to financial ruin.
The revelation has rocketed color waste to top of the ‘worry’ list among professionals, according to the Sustainability in the Beauty Industry annual report, published at the end of last year by Sustain Beauty Co. It beat trash into second place for the first time.
“We asked ‘what was the most important thing our industry needs to change’, and 43% said color waste, compared to only 32% concerned about trash,” says Valorie Tate, author of the annual report and founder of Sustain Beauty Co. “It’s a big change. Trash has topped the list of every survey until now. Interestingly, almost 70% of those surveyed also plan to invest in color management technology in 2025. Color waste is now easy to control.”
Overall this year’s survey revealed a shift away from the big ideas of sustainability towards what owners, renters and stylists could personally control in the short term. This included a growing reluctance to change brands to a more sustainable version, partnered with greater demand for the brands to deliver more sustainability options.
“The implication seems to be a reluctance to change their brand to an unknown, but they can cut back on what they use,” adds Valorie. “Like any sustainable initiative, a willingness to change behaviors is the first step and this one has the bonus of building a stronger business, too.”
Color management starts with awareness and individual responsibility. For those not ready to buy in technology but keen to cut waste, Valorie has these tips:
At the very least ensure scales are used to weigh every formula, and keep a record of exact amounts used. If there is a lot left over at the end of the service, then amend the record so at the next appointment over-mixing is kept to a minimum.
Calculate how much would be needed for half or quarter the formula and note it down on the client record cards. If you need to mix more you can quickly reference the amounts required to finish the service rather than mix the full formula and waste color.
Or you could focus on mixing smaller bowls more frequently, both for better color performance but also control over what is actually needed.
Waste doesn’t happen only in the chair. Keeping on top of inventory will have an impact. If you notice certain shades are falling out of favor, stop reordering them to avoid them gathering dust on the shelves until they are thrown out.
Sharing knowledge is a huge eye-opener for stylists. Discussing what gets mixed for most popular services can help newer stylists establish a baseline rather than using too much.
Introduce an extra bowl charge for services so anything mixed beyond what’s included in the price is charged. Stylists will do anything they can to avoid charging more, so it’s a great incentive to use only what’s necessary!
Of course, any initiative needs the whole team on board, so prioritizing careful color management in KPIs while running promotions to motivate waste reduction will help build towards long-term change.
Cutting down on color waste not only saves the planet, it also saves on dollars. Whether you decide to invest in technology to track and do the fancy math for you, or decide to go it on your own, following Valorie’s simple tips will help you keep cash in the bank and deliver a fabulous service to guests.
To read the full report, download the Sustainability in The Beauty Industry report. The report is free to the industry along with other research from Sustain Beauty Co.
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