Schwarzkopf Professional’s Richard Thomasson Showcases his Support for the Recycle My SALON sCHEME
[Richard Thomasson]
My name is Richard Thomasson, I'm the head of wholesale for the UK and Ireland for Henkel Beauty Care Professional (Schwarzkopf Professional).
[Marc Carey]
Welcome Richard, thank you for joining us today. I'm pleased to be talking to you about this brilliant scheme Recycle My Salon. When did you first hear about this?
[RT]
It was at an HBSA council meeting, brought forward by my general managers as an industry opportunity that the HBSA was looking to roll out.
[MC]
And had you been thinking about some of the environmental impacts of your business or the supply chain, has that become quite prevalent of late?
[RT]
Very much. I guess there are two pieces to that, the broader Henkel Corporation (Schwarzkopf Professional) piece where sustainability is a clear ambition for the upcoming years, including being climate positive by 2040, working towards a circular economy with zero plastic waste and making a positive social impact. But then from our industry, specifically in professional hair, we were looking at our own scheme of recycling aluminium. So this scheme was very, very timely and I think it's fantastic because it's industrywide, rather than one company or one brand.
[MC]
I think from the perspective of objectively looking into the industry, that's one of the key things about this scheme, isn't it? Often I think in a competitive market we end up working in silo but these bigger issues need collaboration, don't they?
[RT]
Absolutely. I think it needs collaboration and that's the beauty of the HBSA. Yes there are competitors on there but it's also about representing the industry. This industry, like most, has obviously been through an extremely difficult couple of years and has come out very strongly but I think this initiative from the HBSA is the single biggest and most positive initiative to come out of that organization.
[MC]
I guess sitting around the top table, if I can call it that, how do you think this is going to get through to people at the grassroots level? Obviously we know that this is going to be pushed as Recycle My Salon, but for salons to take it seriously and to get involved what do you think it is about this scheme that will allow that to happen?
[RT]
Well it's got to work, obviously. So the setup and the ability for people to buy into it and get involved needs to work seamlessly. Secondly that it's an end to end system that's sustainable, people want to check that recycling happens at the end of this whole process. Thirdly is cost and I think that's another area where this is really positive. It's almost a not for profits initiative that's been pushed by the HBSA. I think the other thing that we're all going to have to think about and work out a bit more is how we make the offering available to our direct network as well who have contact with their salon base. So having a wholesale solution but also one that works for the direct sales teams. That way you're covering all elements of the marketplace.
[MC]
Just going back to your point earlier, you mentioned that your organization is already working on sustainability issues, looking for a positive carbon scenario. In terms of the industry, is this the tip of the iceberg? Do you see this aluminium recycling as the first step?
[RT]
Yeah, most definitely. I think it is the first step. Aluminium, to be very open about it, is 100% recyclable so it's viable as well as being heavily used, but it's difficult to recycle because it's filled with chemical products which is why this is such a good initiative. The next big opportunity is going to be plastics, think about shampoo and conditioner bottles, and whilst we and I'm sure many other manufacturers are looking at ways of significantly reducing their plastic usage, that's going to take a little bit of time. I think it starts with foil, then it will move to plastics and ultimately try and cover all of the packaging that's used within the industry.
[MC]
Yeah. We've seen a trend, probably a bit unfair to call it a trend, of consumers becoming more savvy about where they spend their money. Also, the new generations have got access to the internet and social media so the knowledge base is much broader. Do you find that customers are demanding more of these kinds of products?
[RT]
In short, yes. I think from two directions, one from our industry itself, hairdressers want more and more vegan and sustainable products and they want to understand these recycling options. Then the second route for this information is the broader market research that the company does which is exactly what you just said. The younger generations are motivators for buying a product or working with a certain company which is really quite different to previous generations. Sustainability is a real topic for people. I think businesses have a responsibility to be sustainable, I think a lot do it because it's the right thing to do but also it's what the consumers are demanding so they have to respond to and respect that. So it's coming through in various different streams.
[MC]
I think that's actually a very good point. I mean I was mentioning it from a consumer perspective but you're absolutely right, the employees of the future, the new business owners, the new salon owners, they're also looking at it from a more sustainable perspective, aren't they?
[RT]
Without a doubt and I think whether it's products or a scheme like this, a lot of people want to do it. If you can offer a great product that ticks all the boxes and meets all the sustainability criteria and it's similarly priced to others, then that's fantastic. I think people are prepared to pay a bit of premium but not a massive one. I think this scheme is very cost-efficient and I think a lot of people will look at it and think it's very much money well spent. So I think being able to offer a very competitive price is really important and the HBSA have done a very good job of keeping those costs down.
[MC]
Do you think making this scheme financially accessible for the end-user is its UPS or its unique value proposition?
[RT]
Most definitely, especially when you consider that around 50% of hairdressers now rent a chair or freelance, so their turnover might not be at the same level as salon owners. So it's about making it accessible to every freelancer or hairdressing professional in the marketplace, whether you're a mobile hairdresser or you own a really big salon. If you're asking about its unique value proposition then it's three things combined, the fact that it's accessible, it's a genuine end to end recycling solution and it's industrywide.
[MC]
Yeah. I seem to remember somebody once saying, if there was a major disaster in the world, that there'd still be a job for hairdressers. So does the hairdressing industry typically embrace innovation? Has it been an innovation-led industry or is that something that's just starting to happen now?
[RT]
Yeah, that's a great question. We're quite fortunate in that historically it's been sort of recession-resistant. Although obviously, in the last couple of years, it's been hit very, very hard. But in terms of innovation, it's always been an innovative industry from a fashion lead point of view, things trickle down from the fashion world, the catwalks, etc. Not always necessarily from a technological point of view. I think attitudinally a lot of the people in the industry are in tune with trying to make climate positive actions. We're all aware of what's going on in the wider world so there's a real ambition from the industry as well as from the supply side to do something positive.
[MC]
So obviously we're hoping that the Recycle My Salon scheme will be taken up across the board. What are you doing within your organization to continue to support this?
[RT]
As I mentioned earlier we were exploring our own route but now we're not doing that and we're fully focused on this industry route because it's the right thing to do. We're fairly new in terms of just becoming a sponsor for it but absolutely we will support the HBSA in any way to help launch it. Also, within our own Henkel media platforms, we'll be pushing support for it as an industry-wide scheme.
[MC]
Brilliant. Richard, it's been lovely speaking to you today, thank you so much for your time. Do you have any final thoughts or comments that you'd like to leave as a parting gesture?
[RT]
It's been great to talk and just to say that Henkel is very excited, privileged and motivated to be part of this initiative. There's real value in it from a climate positive point of view. It's very aligned to what we want to do as a business, it's the right thing to do and I think it's great for our customers and industry. We're delighted to be involved.
[MC]
Brilliant. Richard, thank you so much for your time, very much appreciated.
[RT]
Thank you, Marc it's been great speaking to you.
