Earth Watch: Bambu Eco Salon

ST. PETERSBURG (FOX 13) - At Bambú The Eco Salon there's a balance between great hair and helping the environment.

"It's been important to me all my life and we wanted to make an impact," said Chris Kiss Co-Owner of the salon.
 
The salon and spa was remodeled this summer with upcycled and eco-conscious materials. They even collect drinking straws to make artwork.
 
"This the environment we want to give to our clients,' Kiss said.
 
"We brought plants in that are actually filtering the air," he said.
 
These plants include spider plants, sansevieria, and their signature bamboo.
 
 "We produced a bacteria called an inoculant which is a microorganism which lives within the soil that helps break down the impurities that the plants filter out of the air," said Co Owner Joshua DeBlock.
 
Their hair and spa products are carefully selected based on their ingredients. Many are local and naturally keep harmful chemicals out of the water.
 
"That's one of the reasons we're the choice salon for Tampa Bay Watch," said DeBlock.
 
Since the salon opened 4 years ago, they've recycled 900 bags of material. That's about a bag each day.
 
"We recycle all of our foil. We put it in a ball because the city of St Pete uses a mechanical separator and what happens is this gets caught," DeBlock explained.
 
Since recycling isn't offered for businesses in St. Pete, the salon owners take theirs home with them daily. They each have an extra recycling bin to get the job done. This almost eliminates the need for trash cans.
 
"We are on bag 24 of trash in the 4 years we've been open, said DeBlock.
 
Even hair color is used to the last drop. They encourage their clients to eliminate waste too.
 
"You can bring your shampoo bottle in and we will refill it for a discount. Even though a lot of the packaging is recyclable, we're trying to take it one step further with recycling," DeBlock said.
 
Receipts are all digital. Even their business cards are made of recycled material.
 
"I'd like to set an example, but more than anything I'd like to uplift my salon industry," said Kiss.