MENU
SEARCHWith Earth Day around the corner, Mazey Heidman, owner of Sustain Salon in Oklahoma City helps you get your waste under control with five of her top tips for dumpster diving.
Clients are consumers and consumers are increasingly choosing to splash their cash on companies that prioritize sustainability. They want to see their beloved salon making efforts to be more responsible so they have no guilt being loyal. But the move to eco status for beauty businesses rarely happens in one leap. It takes small steps to change processes and attitudes. The first of these is getting waste under control, so we asked Sustainable Mazey, aka Mazey Heydman, owner of Sustain Salon in Oklahoma City and famed ‘dumpster-diver,’ for her top tips.
"It takes time to understand exactly where your waste goes. I didn’t get it right immediately, and many of my salon-owning friends were the same, which is why I began helping others. I researched all the various companies in my area to find any that could deal with salon waste. In some places, this may mean linking up with a specialist company like Salon Cycle. I do pay for some recycling but there are a lot of options for local recycling that aren’t extra so finding someone local that can process your refuse without transporting may be both more sustainable and a cheaper option, so check out all your local services."
"In this country we actually only recycle about 3% of our waste because most people don’t understand the process. Everything must be separated into categories with bins for the various materials: plastics, paper and cardboard, color and metal. It must also be clean, so unless you're partnering with a salon waste specialist who does it for you, rinse off residue from all containers, bottles and foils etc. One dirty foil in your local recycling can contaminate the rest and the entire batch will be sent to landfill. And as you are rinsing it anyway, why not switch to a system like Paper Not Foils from Sustain Beauty Co which after rinsing can be reused."
"Success starts with the team, from the assistants to the receptionists to the managers. Involving them in the process from the beginning will help buy-in and better practices. Recruit and reward committed champions who will be the waste warriors in your salon, not just to correct separation and check for contaminated items, but to reinforce the message of what works and what can ruin it all."
"Monitoring your bins is important because sometimes what you're doing doesn't work and you need to recognize it early. When I started, I was putting all my metals together in one bin but when I went to take it to the recycling place, they had me separate my foils from my color tubes from my drink cans because they were all different grades of aluminum. It might not be the same in other areas, but checking up regularly to ensure you haven’t missed something vital or that bad habits have crept in will keep you on the path to sustainability."
"Quite a few of the salons I worked with were stunned by the amount of waste they produced when they saw it collected for the first time. They simply didn’t realize how much waste they produced. I don’t buy from certain suppliers because they use too much packaging, and we don’t have any single-use items in the salon. Considering how you will deal with the waste when buying something can lead to new habits. Buying tools and equipment that are repairable and avoiding those guilty of excessive packaging will mean less waste. And it’s cheaper in the long run."
It might seem a bit overwhelming at first but once you’ve got the culture in place it will become second nature. If you want more info about becoming sustainable download the newly updated Sustainable Checklist published by Sustain Beauty Co.
It’s much easier to accomplish all of the above if you team up with other salon owners in the area. Research, transport, donations, and awareness are all easier in groups, so don’t hesitate to reach out and see who in your area is interested in teaming up to help carry the load.
After moving to Colorado and teaching at a cosmetology school, Allison Stock joined Zandi K as a stylist, eventually becoming part of the Leadership Team, Education Team and Master Bridal Team. Today, as Director of Operation, Stock is Owner Nicki Wenz's right hand, managing human resources and operations, education and career development, and coaching and culture.
The company's Concealed Bead Method is raising the bar for what professional extension education can deliver.
Scott maximized her micro-salon by transitioning from stylist to strategic owner, focusing on recruiting and station-sharing. By prioritizing her ownership role over behind-the-chair work, she grew her team to six stylists within the two-chair, 150-square-foot space before eventually moving to a larger facility.
The former CFO of Perdue Farms and owner of Hardy Seafood, Terry Owens delivers a wealth of wisdom and strategies for entrepreneurs in his new book, "Business is Simple."
After scaling her single-location salon business, SALON TODAY 200 Honoree Amy Pal recently sold her six-location Whip Salon for seven figures. Using the six Ps for maximizing a business's value, she's ready to help her peers do the same.
Buried inside the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are federal solar tax credit changes that deserve your attention now. Two of the credits that matter most to commercial property owners, the Investment Tax Credit and the Production Tax Credit, are still available, but only if you move fast. A third, the Commercial Building Energy Efficiency Deduction, has a hard termination date that is closer than most people realize.
Up to 40% of hair stylists ghost the salon interview stage, leaving owners trapped playing endless phone tag with uncommitted applicants. This data-driven report breaks down why traditional job boards create recruitment friction and reveals the modern messaging strategies high-growth salons use to get pre-qualified talent to actually show up. Learn how to transition from cold calling to high-conversion conversations that protect your time and fill your chairs.
Sponsored by Beautista
Spit fests, hostile threats, and even an overachieving matchmaker--SALON TODAY readers share their craziest client tales and how their team handled these tough situations with professionalism and grace.
Keeping your appointment book full when clients are in vacation mode takes more than a good Instagram post. It takes a plan. The 2026 Summer Marketing Calendar from Meevo gives salon, spa & med spa owners a month-by-month roadmap with sharp themes, key opportunity dates, and campaign ideas specifically designed for the beauty & wellness industry. Here’s to your summer season working as hard as you do!
Sponsored by Millennium Systems International
AI is transforming the beauty and wellness industry, and the future is about empowering people, not replacing them. Discover how Phorest AI helps salons, spas, and med spas across North America respond faster, personalize every visit, and keep human connection at the heart of the client experience.
Sponsored by Phorest
Owner Michaella Blissett-Williams credits her General Manager Gloria Hortua with [salon] 718's year-over-year, double-digit growth and says she's been able to scale the company to eight locations because she can rely on Hortua to manage daily operations.
Shine Time: Aluram’s High Shine Line Delivers Moisture and Shine with Clean Ingredients
Sponsored by Aluram
Elyse Rogers is an uplifting presence at The Headroom who makes the team feel heard even in stressful situations. Owner Danielle Cherewyk sings her praises in this installment of Meet the Manager.
Despite a slight and predictable decline in client traffic for Q1, resilient pricing power is driving year-over-year revenue growth in salons. The KIM Report's Alain Audet reviews the data and what it's telling us about the state of professional beauty.
Same-store revenue grew just 2% for the second straight year—and new guest visits declined across every segment of the industry. The 2026 Benchmark Report reveals where growth is actually happening, which verticals are pulling ahead, and what the data says about where your business stands right now.
Sponsored by Zenoti
Hair restoration is entering a new era driven by regenerative science. This paper explores how Exosome technology is transforming treatment outcomes by targeting hair loss at a cellular level. Discover why EXOGROW is leading this shift.
Sponsored by Dermapenworld
A salon brand is much more than a logo. In this thought-provoking blog, Leon Alexander, Ph.D., walks you through the difference. SALON TODAY suggests sharing this article with your team and leading a discussion at your next huddle, asking the team to define your business's brand.
