WATER companies have warned we might be heading for drought after this spring was one of the driest on record.

But help could be at hand from an unlikely quarter – hairdressers.

For the past five years Southampton Business School at the University of Southampton has been working with industry organisations, such as national standards organisation Habia and Eastleigh-based industry training body VTCT, to embed sustainable practices across the hairdressing sector.

Staff have been holding free workshops for salons and training colleges, and making their resources freely available on their website.

Now the project has culminated in Shine Hairdressing in University Road receiving a sustainable salon certificate, which means the university will promote it on the website – ecohairandbeauty.com – and on social media.

Business director Samantha Cunningham was joined by customers and family at the salon to celebrate receiving the certificate.

Experts say a four-seater salon that adopted the green way of working would save more than £5,300 year, and 286,000 litres of water.

Southampton Business School’s Dr Denise Baden, who started the Ecohair project, said: “Hairdressers are in a unique position, as the practices they model in the salon and the message they give to their clients about ‘greener’ behaviour has the potential to make the world of difference – quite literally – in helping to ensure the future sustainability of the planet and also save money for both salons and clients.

“All suggestions are based on the idea that using too much heat, water and chemicals on your hair and skin is bad for your hair and bad for your bills – as well as bad for the planet.”

Sustainability consultant David Fell is enthusiastic about using hairdressers to tell clients about more sustainable practices.

He said: “When a politician says that you should do something about the environment, no pays any attention, but when a hairdressers tells you ‘have you considered using less hot water’, and tells them about the benefits of leave in conditioner or dry shampoo, then that’s going to sink in.”

Dr Baden estimates annual savings of £150 and more than 5,000 litres of water per client, or about ten per cent of their daily consumption, and 100 billion litres of water UK-wide via the advice hairdressers pass on to clients.

Ecohair is encouraging clients to ask their hairdressers if they are certified as a sustainable salon. Hairdressers interested to find out more should see ecohairandbeauty.com