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04.08.14

Aveda Cleans Up People & Beaches, Raising Money For Surfrider

For the 8th year, Aveda hair and body care company is raising money for Surfrider! In the past 7 years, Aveda salons and Experience Centers have raised over $750,000 for Surfrider's Clean Water Program (of which the Ocean Friendly Gardens Program is a part). Aveda's mission is in line with Surfrider's: “Care for the world we live in, from the products we make to the ways in which we give back to society. At Aveda, we strive to set an example.”

Aveda was the first beauty company using 100% post consumer recycled PET (plastic). More than 85% of their containers use 100% post consumer recycled materials. In partnership with schools, Aveda is collecting plastic bottle caps to make new caps for hair products. (Caps are plastic #5 and bottles are PET #1: they are processes separately because they melt at different temperatures during the recycling process, according to earth911.com.)

During the month of March, Surfrider staff present a short talk at Aveda salons and Centers to educate Aveda crew (volunteer activists presented a few, too). Melissa McLaughlin (pictured above), Salon Development Partner for the Pacific Southwest, brainstorms with the Aveda crew about what fundraising activities they want to do: cut-a-thon (haircuts, massages), raffle basket, bake sale, makeup application, and more.

Beach clean-up are also a part of Aveda Earth Month, and Surfrider staff lead them. Sometimes the salons and Centers collaborate, such as the clean-up in Ventura, CA that netted 83 pounds (at right).  Tangerenz salon owner, Gavin Skill, is an experienced trash collector: he brought trash grabbers and back-saving buckets with built-in handles (bright yellow ones, pictured at right).

Aveda staff also collaborated on a cut-a-thon plus massages at the Santa Barbara Aveda Experience Center. Stylists from Sky Salon in Ventura joined locals from Luxe Salon & Day Spa. The cuts were on a donation basis. Center Manager, Sandra, was roping in passersby for cuts, while Center staff engaged others for “massages for clean water” (pictured at left). Sandra also booked a great blues musician (guitarist) provide entertainment. (Sandra, as well as Sky Salon owner Jenna Herre, are interested in turning their home landscapes into Ocean Friendly Gardens.)

Surfrider-Santa Barbara Chapter Volunteer Coordinator, Kalyn Noe, used a model of a watershed to show a girl how polluted runoff happens and how to prevent it. Kalyn teaches at Santa Barbara High School, which is home to an Ocean Friendly Garden.

At a grand re-opening party for Tangerenz Salon, Gavin and a stylist named Mary did their owner educating about how much water is used on everyday items (at left). A pair of jeans uses 1,800 gallons. A bag of M&Ms: 304 gallons. A (plastic) bottle of water: 1.85 gallons.

Tanerenz has been given a number of awards for their work, and Gavin wants to find an aerator for his hair washing stations (let him know if you find one). Gavin is also wanting to take his message to the streets: after hearing about a parkway curb cut a few blocks-away, he wants to do one in front of his store. The Surfrider-Ventura County Chapter has heard of Gavin's interest and is going to follow up.

Thanks to all the Aveda salons and Centers for your fundraising, beach cleaning-up and educating your guests! If you need a haircut, massage, or hair and body products, check out an Aveda salon using this directory.