Two stylists from two separate salons have come out neck and neck in this year’s Waste Warrior Awards, both recording amazingly low levels of waste. Tiffany Guaglinore, from Adolf Bieker Salon in Strafford, PA, and Jessica Dinh, from Head Case Hair Studio in Keller, TX, logged an average of just $0.06-worth of color per bowl left over after each service, one cent lower than last year’s Waste Warrior, April Price, from Annastasia Salon in Portland, OR. Each year, Vish analyzes data captured from more than four million services mixed on its color management technology to identify the greatest Waste Warriors.

Guaglinore and Dinh also registered incredibly low dispensing averages of just $3.22 cost-per-bowl, proving they are the most efficient stylists in the world, and that their clients are charged fairly with every service.

“As a color specialist and salon educator, I see the importance of teaching the incoming talent that waste equals money lost. Our salon is an Aveda Concept Salon and holding true to its mission is very important to me. We have to care for the world we live in and do our part to protect it however we can," says Guaglinore. “Waste is something we can control.”

She pointed to the unyielding consistency that Vish brings to her color applications as a major motivator.

“The way Vish helps me cut down on color waste isn't just good for business; it's good for the planet. Every gram of color saved is a small victory in the larger battle to reduce the carbon footprint of the beauty industry,” Dinh says. “But Vish is also a promise of accuracy, ensuring that every client who walks out of my salon is a living, breathing advertisement for the precision I hold dear. Combining environmental conscientiousness with precision in my color formulations make it easy for me to use and love Vish every day.”

In the Waste Warrior Salons category, two very different salons came out top. Tryanglez, a one-person location in Danville, PA, averaged out at just $0.13 waste per bowl during 2023, while  the larger, renowned sustainable salon Head Case Studio got a second nod, becoming number two after its entire team of 20 kept their average waste to under $0.20.

Both teams registered incredibly low dispensing averages, with Tryanglez averaging $3.53-worth of color dispensed per bowl and Head Case averaging $3.95-worth of color per bowl.

“I'm a small salon, in a small town, but money is still money in any town, no matter how big or small the salon is,” said Peggy Fry, owner of Tryanglez. “We all have a responsibility to preserve the environment in which we live and help others where we can, be it people, animals or the planet.

“I recently raised prices and Vish helped justify it. I can show clients how much color was used and how much is considered normal. It is uncomfortable raising prices, but when you have solid proof to back you up, people know the decision hasn’t been made lightly, and you didn’t just pull this number out of the air.”

Split into individual stylists and salons, the data shows that many are not only slashing the amount of left-over color, but, helped by Vish’s Efficient Stylist Guide, are also bringing down the initial amount mixed, leading to lower wholesale costs.

The problem of waste is more than just environmental. The industry currently throws away more than 15 million lbs. of mixed color, with most of it paid for by salons. It adds up to more than $17k in wasted color for the average salon each year. But Vish salons mix less per service, saving hugely on wholesale costs and reinvesting that profit. Guaglinore’s has just 1.9% waste, Tryanglez has 3.5% while Head Case runs at around 5%, a remarkable figure for a large, busy salon.

“We monitor it every week because the team are excited to know what their numbers are and we reward those who top the chart for best reweigh and lowest waste,” said Head Case Studio owner Kelley Swing, who is also author of $ustainable Salons Make Millions and a member of Rolling Stone magazine’s Cultural Council of thought leaders. “Our clients like Vish, too. They love that they only pay for the color used. Some even monitor how many grams are used and will ask the team about it. They now understand how much extra color even one week of regrowth takes and our transparency has really boosted their confidence in us.”

If you want to see what the most color-efficient stylists dispense in the five key services, check out the Vish Efficient Stylist Guide.