Paul Frasca - Sustainable Salons

Shape the System

About the Guest(s):

Paul Frasca: Paul Frasca is a co-founder of Sustainable Salons, an organization dedicated to minimizing waste in the beauty industry by turning salon waste into valuable resources. With a background in hairdressing and a keen interest in sustainability inspired by his partner Evelina, Paul has been pivotal in introducing sustainable practices into salons across Australia and New Zealand. Paul is also involved in innovative recycling solutions, such as using human hair for oil spill cleanups and creating fertilizers.

Episode Summary:

In this captivating episode of Shape the System, host Vincent Turner welcomes Paul Frasca, co-founder of Sustainable Salons, to discuss the revolutionary impact of sustainability in the hair and beauty industry. Turner’s humorous remark on discussing hair without personally having any sets a light tone for the intense subject matter. Frasca shares his journey from hairdressing to pioneering sustainability initiatives, influenced in part by his italian heritage and sustainable living principles inherited from his grandparents.

The conversation dives deep into the specific waste challenges within salons, including metals, plastics, and human hair, and how Sustainable Salons has developed innovative solutions to transform these waste products into valuable resources. Using hair to clean up oil spills and create fertilizers are just two of their groundbreaking initiatives. Paul also sheds light on the logistics and operational challenges behind making sustainability viable, capturing the importance of point-to-point solutions and vertical integration in recycling. The episode underscores the need for industries to adapt swiftly to sustainability norms and the role of brands in driving this change.

Key Takeaways:

• Sustainable Salons Initiatives: Sustainable Salons tackles waste in hair salons by recycling metals, plastics, and even human hair, converting these into useful products like hair booms for oil spills and fertilizers.
• Three-Pillar Approach: The organization’s sustainability strategy focuses on people, planet, and profit, ensuring that environmental solutions also benefit communities and businesses financially.
• Educational Outreach: The company integrates sustainability into educational frameworks, making it a part of the curriculum in hairdressing schools to inspire future generations.
• Reverse Logistics: Effective recycling relies on sophisticated reverse logistics and point-to-point solutions, which Sustainable Salons has meticulously developed.
• Global Potential: Sustainable Salons is setting a precedent in Australia and New Zealand, with potential applications in other regions and industries, encouraging innovation and partnership in sustainability practices globally.

Notable Quotes:

1. "I never came from some green world… I was born in Australia, but having italian migrants, grandparents and parents, they grew up a very different way." - Paul Frasca
2. "Each boom, just to give you some stats, can hold up to eight times its weight, and it's highly attractive to oil." - Paul Frasca
3. "So we've had to build it from scratch. And right now we have far better software than the courier companies do." - Paul Frasca
4. "If we're going to solve this egg, we’re going to have to crack it, right? We're going to have to really get in here and solve this problem." - Paul Frasca
5. "The way you're thinking is just so 1980s, it's dead. You've got to rethink sustainability from the ground up." - Paul Frasca

Resources:

• Sustainable Salons: Website
• Teslar: Website
• Critical: Website
• Soils Alive: Website
• Oz Harvest: Website
• Kiwi Harvest: Website

For more insights and to stay updated on groundbreaking sustainable solutions in various industries, make sure to listen to this episode and stay tuned for more content from Shape the System.

Shape the System is an independent podcast with support from KPMG High Growth Ventures

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