With their 2018 event offering just around the corner, Hair Expo have announced a new initiative in collaboration with Sustainable Salons Australia.

As part of this year’s proceedings, event organisers are looking to eliminate the discardment of 20,000 paper cups, enlisting the help of recycling organisation Simply Cups to provide both recyclable coffee cups and allocated collection tubes.

A response to recent findings collected by Sustainable Salons Australia (which revealed used beverage containers comprise a large percentage of event waste) the initiative aims to substantially reduce wastage, inviting event-goers to dispose of cups in green collection tubes, before which cups are stored and sent for responsible recycling.

“We are proud to take the first steps to ensuring a sustainable Hair Expo event in partnership with Sustainable Salons” said Cory Watson, Event Director for Hair Expo Australia.

“Ensuring thousands of coffee cups don’t end up in landfill is a hugely impactful way that we can move toward our goal of being a more environmentally friendly event by 2020.”

Added Sustainable Salons Co-Founder Paul Frasca; “We all know hairdressers are fuelled by coffee, but this is an issue that affects more than just the salon industry.”

“While this step will eliminate unnecessary landfill, it will also be an important example of how one group of people can have an immediate impact when they decide to take a stand.”

“We’re so excited to show the community that hairdressers care about their footprint even when they’re away from the salon… and that we’re doers!”

Adjacent initiatives include the distribution of sustainability/environmental footprint reducing tips to each of the event’s exhibitors and ‘back of house’ separation bins for responsible discardment of rubbish and recyclables.

Furthermore, Sustainable Salons Australia will also collect a myriad of disposed materials (including hair, spray cans, styling bottles and oil) through additional separation bins, with repurposed contents to be donated to OzHarvest.

Visit: www.hairexpoaustralia.com