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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Business
Michaela Haas

Two salon owners wanted to go zero-waste. Could they do it and keep their business afloat?

Two women smile inside the retail area of a salon.
Easton Basjec and Melissa Parker, founders of Scisters Salon & Apothecary in San Diego, California, on 18 March 2026. Photograph: John Francis Peters/The Guardian

The first thing you notice when you walk into Scisters Salon & Apothecary is what isn’t there. No wall of glossy plastic bottles promising “repair” or “shine”. No sharp chemical tang or aerosol haze. The only trash can is a tiny basket that mostly collects coffee cups and gum wrappers clients bring from home.

Instead, the shelves of this southern California salon are lined with large refill containers of shampoo and conditioner, houseplants dot the space, hair clippings are swept away for compost, and the air carries a trace of bergamot and vanilla.

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