How eco-friendly is your day spa? If you want a truly sustainable lifestyle then it’s important to include your workplace or business. This step can help to improve the health and wellbeing of your customers and employees.
In recent years new green organizations connected to day spas and beauty brands have launched as part of the “eco-boom.” In fact, the global green tech and sustainability market is valued at nearly $58 billion. This shows a thriving industry in sectors like health & wellness.
I’d like to share some simple yet effective ways to make your spa greener.
Tip #1: Use Eco-friendly Lighting
There are several ways you can make your spa lighting greener. One of the ways is to add more natural light. This could be through lightweight curtains and drapes, or Venetian blinds that let more sunlight into the spa. Sun rays are free so this is an easy-peasy way to go green and save green.
Another option is energy-saving LED lighting. While these bulbs cost more than standard light bulbs, they last up to about 50x longer than incandescent light bulbs due to higher energy efficiency.
Yet another choice is dimmer switches. Lower levels of artificial light have the same effect as nighttime darkness. This is when the body’s melatonin hormones are at their highest levels. Lower indoor light levels can create the best environment for a relaxing massage.
Tip #2: Reduce the Amount of Laundry
Unfortunately, there’s no way around continuous laundry loads at a day spa. That includes the associated costs and energy. However, there are ways to make your spa’s laundry “greener” even if it’s white.
Single-Use, Less Waste?
One option is to use single-use biodegradable items such as linens and towels. This process can reduce laundry costs by around 90%, while drastically reducing the number of micro-fibers that enters the local water systems. There’s more! Another plus of this option is it reduces your spa’s carbon footprint due to lower washing machine usage.
The single-use functionality is also greener than it sounds and helps improve current recycling statistics, which is far from bright. You can recycle the towels and linens through compost. These eco-friendly products are 100% compostable and sustainable.
Tip #3: Use Energy-efficient Heating and Cooling
You want your customers to feel comfy, save money on heating and cooling bills, and contribute to the environment? You can achieve these goals by using energy-efficient HVAC methods including:
- Adding high-efficiency filters to the HVAC system
- Using caulking and weather stripping to fill air gaps around windows and doors
- Adding automatically-controlled thermostat for HVAC system
- Adding ceiling fans to boost air circulation
- Programming thermostat to 68ºF for heating and 78ºF for cooling
- Learn if your spa’s electric company has an “on-call program.”
- Create shade for the HVAC condenser
- Add window film to windows that get sun exposure
- Replace single-pane windows with double-pane windows
As this innovative master’s degree in product and interior design teaches us, the environmental economics of products should be a top priority when designing spaces, so bear in mind that it’s not just comfort and aesthetics that you should be after.
Tip #4: Reduce Waste through Suppliers
You can also reduce your spa’s waste by working with suppliers. You don’t have to make wholesale changes at one time. For example, you can request that suppliers ship flip-flops without individual plastic bags.
You can also gradually make your consultations paperless by using tablets. This involves finding spa software systems that offer this feature, which can be part of making your entire spa paperless. This is another way you can work with suppliers to make your spa greener.
Tip #5: Install Low-flow Faucets and Showers
A low-flow showerhead and faucet are designed to lower water wasted in your spa. Since they’re more water-efficient this conserves H2O while also lowering your water bills. One downside is the shower can’t affect the shower length.
Less Water & Heating
Besides reducing water consumption, these fixtures can also reduce your spa’s water heating costs. In fact, this can be one of the biggest energy expenses for day spas.
Fun Fact: an average 8-minute shower uses about 17 gallons of water. The water use is exponentially higher than homes based on the number of daily showers at your spa.
Another issue is hot water heaters are also used for other appliances like washing machines. You could wash linens and towels in cold water as an alternative.
Tip #6: Reduce Waste
There are various ways you can achieve this goal. While it’s normal to serve drinking water to guests, you can provide reusable bottles with filtered water that’s processed on-site.
In fact, you can even produce in-house bottles that customers can buy and reuse. This allows guests to team up to help your spa achieve its sustainability goals.
Yet another option is to purchase items in bulk sizes. They can then be reused as reusable containers.
Paper over Plastic
There are other options to reduce waste. One is to substitute recycled paper products for plastic. This is easily more eco-friendly since plastics are oil-based.
Your spa can implement various spa rules for phasing out plastics. Replace bottled water with recyclable paper cups, for example
Another option is to add recycling bins in places where customers are likely to toss in recyclable materials like plastic bottles.
Tip #7: Conduct an Energy Audit
This is an effective way to learn how you can save energy here and there, which can reduce your spa’s total carbon footprint.
Here’s how it works:
Simply review all ways your company is using energy, and find ways you can save energy. While you might have to replace energy-inefficient equipment, it’s realistic to reduce electric bills by up to one-fourth, for example.
Here are some options:
- Solar-thermal water-heating systems
- Recycled solid waste
- Treat/Reuse wastewater
Make sure to conduct an energy audit every year to find new ways to reduce energy consumption. To make your energy audits easier, you can make use of free online tools such as this energy use calculator.
Tip #8: Use skin-friendly Linens and Skincare Products
These products are good for your spa guests and the local environment. Besides that, these items are also more ideal for customers with issues like sensitive skin.
When you select linens, go with sustainable fibers like organic cotton or bamboo versus synthetic fibers.
It’s also important to select organic skincare and body care products. These green products help to maintain a sustainable business and are more skin-friendly.
A related option is bamboo sandals. Bamboo is one of the world’s fastest-growing plants, which makes it one of the most sustainable options for your spa for linens and footwear.
Conclusion
These are just some of the various ways you can make your spa more eco-friendly and save money in the process. It’s important to create sustainable goals that can implement steps like water recycling, energy conservation, and waste reduction.
Another benefit is you can boost your spa’s image as an eco-friendly business while improving the local environment. This is great public relations for your company. Taking the above-mentioned steps shows your spa is serious about health, wellness, and sustainability.
Author: Lillian Connors is a Senior Content Developer at ACT-ENVIRO, with years of experience in developing content. Throughout her career, she always looked for ways to contribute to the environment in recycling efforts, while providing valuable information with her written articles.
She’s deeply into green practices, cherishing the notion that sustainability not only makes us far less dependent on others regarding how we live and do business but also contributes to our planet being a better place to live on. When she is not trying to improve the things around her (and herself, for that matter), she likes to lose herself in a good book and sip on an occasional appletini.
