By: Raffaela Gualtieri, Reading for 100 Blogger and RACC student who plans to study neuroscience. Many local businesses have embraced green initiatives in light of dire warnings about our planet’s rapidly rising temperatures as well as increasing awareness of sustainability's correlation with money savings. As more and more businesses realize the benefits of sustainability, a clear message is being sent to community leaders. Our planet can no longer wait. And no longer will our community. This month I had the pleasure to interview Cary Frederick, owner of J. Nolan Hair in Fleetwood, PA. J. Nolan is a hair and nail salon that provides numerous services from hair and nails to massages and lash extensions. In talking to Ms. Frederick, I quickly learned that J. Nolan understands that waste is detrimental to the environment and to their bottom line. At Frederick's salon, any material that can be reused will be reused and recycled in some way. “It’s second nature,” Frederick says of making these sustainable choices. Frederick and her employees shred unused paper and send it to local farmers for animal bedding. Worn out towels are given to animal shelters. Shipping boxes get sent to local farmers for composting. Hair gets sent to a company that turns it into mats that help clean up oil spills. Sometimes, hair is donated to Wigs for Kids, an organization that makes wigs for children battling cancer. But that’s not all salons can do with hair. In fact, Frederick explained that it can be used as a bug repellent in gardens! She has found this trick to be very effective for her own garden at home. Beyond the material her business uses, the entire shop has LED lighting and she is currently in the process of getting Eco-heads, shampoo faucets that reduce water consumption and help purify the water as it runs. Frederick hopes to continue to embrace sustainability and to add more improvements with time. She is a firm believer that “as a business we can do our part to try and maintain the balance in an ever-changing environment.” She goes on to add that the path to sustainability “does not happen overnight, but once you’re in the mindset it becomes second nature.” Indeed, Frederick understands the adjustment is well worth the investment in her business, the local economy, and the planet. Her focus on sustainability has opened doors to smart, creative choices that demonstrate how little any of us need to waste. In fact, part of the adjustment seems to be reassessing the way we define waste. Frederick’s business ethic reflects the reality---that one person’s waste can fulfill someone else’s need. When we think of our use of natural resources in a more holistic, communal way, we can begin to see all the opportunities to connect our needs and our waste to a cycle that threads through whole communities, whole corporations, whole counties, and beyond. We are a community headed towards a zero-waste way of life, and businesses like J. Nolan are leading the way. Not only do sustainable business choices save money; they also attract customers. “I go to J. Nolan in part because they are a small, local business making choices that have a positive impact on the community and the environment. That’s the kind of business I commit to supporting,” says Stephanie Andersen, Reading for 100’s Volunteer Leader. And she’s not alone. A growing number of community members are pledging to make choices with their money that reflect their commitment to their community and the planet. To find out more about how your business could grow by taking the steps to be more sustainable, check out one of my earlier blogs here. If you’re a small business who currently operates under a sustainable plan, feel free to reach out to us at readingfor100@gmail.com and tell us your story! Together, we can both foster growth and success in our community and save our planet one step at a time.
