Caracalla - Sustainable & Responsible Business of the Week

Caracalla (Little Rock AR) is a salon and day spa with an aggressive recycling program that extends beyond the typical recycling of waste. Some of the unique ways in which Caracalla supports the reduce, reuse, recycle mantra are to buy reclaimed items for retail sale (such as mittens and hats made from old discarded sweaters), they sell vintage items, they recycle cut hair by sending it to Matter of Trust to be woven into hair mats capable of absorbing chemical oil spills, and they recycle worn pantyhose/stockings with Matter of Trust for the same purpose. In addition, the company purchases and sells recycled items, such as paper, bags, office supplies, toilet tissue, hand towels, pet toys, and even biodegradeable bags for picking up dog waste. The salon is decorated with reclaimed and vintage items and uses or sells eco-friendly products, such as homemade herbal wraps (no packaging waste!), bamboo hairbrushes, hemp bags, natural hair and body products, soy candles in recycled glass jars, efficient lighting, and reusable coffee mugs.

Caracalla supports the local economy by purchasing from local and organic suppliers, particularly other sustainable or green businesses, and buys in bulk to reduce packaging waste. The company also supports the local community through charitable donations and by offering free haircuts to customers who are donating hair to charity.

Caracalla was opened in 1997 by Ella Hunt.

Sustainable & Responsible Business of the Week is a weekly behind-the-scenes look at what businesses are doing to be more sustainable and responsible in their operations.

Sustainable & Responsible Business of the Week: If they can do it, so can you!

How to Recycle Cut Hair

Have you considered what happens to your hair clippings when you get a hair cut? In many cases, the hair will be swept into the trash and sent to the landfill. So why not donate those hair clippings and keep them out of the landfill?

If you have long hair, you already know that you can donate 8 inches of hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, 10 inches of hair to Locks of Love, or 12 inches of hair to Wigs for Kids. But what if you're just getting a cut or trim? Your hair cut can still make a difference.

Hair clippings of any length can be donated to Matter of Trust to be used in the creation of hairmats to clean up oil spills. Hair is naturally oil adsorbant (meaning that oil naturally clings to hair). The donated hair is woven into a mat for use in emergency oil spills, machinery, pipelines, and other instances where oil cleanup is needed.

In addition to collecting hair clippings for oil cleanup, the hair clippings can be used as a source of protein for soil and can prevent water evaporation in soil by as much as 50%. Matter of Trust also collects used nylon hosiery which can be filled with hair clippings to create booms that surround and contain oil spills. So the next time you go in for a cut, encourage your salon, beauty shop, or barbershop to participate by collecting and sending hair clippings to Matter of Trust.

But don't stop there. Matter of Trust also takes donations of animal hair. You can encourage your local pet store, boarding kennel, pet groomer, zoo or petting zoo, or veterinarian to collect and send in donations.

In the spirit of sustainability, not only have you made a difference, but the business will reduce its waste (possibly saving money on refuse removal costs), divert and recycle its waste for environmentally-friendly usage, and make an important environmental contribution.