Feldbach

Celebrity hairdresser turns hair into a valuable raw material

Mario Gutmann doesn't just cut Renate Götschl's hair.

(Bild: z.V.g.)

The rethink towards more sustainability is now also maturing in the hairdressing industry. Feldbach celebrity hairdresser Mario Gutmann is taking his environmental concept to the extreme and using hair from Renate Götschl & Co to clean the sea. How does it work?

Your hairdresser makes you beautiful all over and pollutes the environment a hair's breadth less. A trend that is catching on cut by cut. Sustainability is the new luxury in the country's first hairdressing salons. Feldbach celebrity hairdresser Mario Gutmann has been able to implement the concept for more sustainability with the relocation of his hairdressing salon.

Blue reeds shade the façade and make the air conditioning system sweat less. The whirring hairdryer runs on green electricity from the photovoltaic system. The radical restyling for more sustainability continues in the daily work in the stylish hairdressing salon, where 13 hairdressers share their boss's philosophy. Hair-damaging chemical maces no longer have a place here. "Most of the shampoos, conditioners and colors meet ecological standards, but there is still room for improvement in the range." The cat lover relies on natural products without animal testing, which pollute the waste water much less. Modern technology has reduced water consumption by two thirds.

Sustainability is more interesting than gossip about the royalfamily
 "Customers are now more interested in our celebrated commitment to the environment than the gossip about the British royal family," emphasizes the 48-year-old, who has received an award for his sustainability concept. "Today, sustainable living is a sign of style and awareness. Fashion and sustainability are not mutually exclusive".

Worked for Karl Lagerfeld, was booked for major fashion shows
Sporting ambition was at the start of his career planning, but his path to becoming a professional tennis player ended abruptly. "I wanted to travel the world as a tennis pro. In the end, the hairdressing profession also took me around the world". For years, the East Styrian stylist was booked for well-known fashion shows, was part of Karl Lagerfeld's personal team and later worked for Guido Maria Kretschmer. Worked for Gery Keszler at the Vienna Life Ball. Celebrities now follow him around, Cora Schumacher, DJ Ötzi, singer Simone and speed queen Renate Götschl leave their hair under the chic crystal chandelier.

Hair becomes an oil filter for the world's oceans
"Every single strand is collected, packed in boxes and picked up by a freight forwarder". But what happens to them? "In my case, the hair goes to the environmental organization 'Hair helps the oceans', which uses it to produce oil filters". This saves having to dispose of the valuable raw material as residual waste. Hair has the ability to absorb a lot of fat and does not lose this function even after cutting. This makes it ideal for use as a natural cleaning agent against pollution such as oil, petrol and suntan lotion in bodies of water. One kilogram of hair can filter up to eight kilograms of oil. Renate Götschl's cut hair therefore also contributes to the environmental project. The speed queen thinks the commitment is great, and she also personally contributes to greater sustainability by taking the train from Spielberg to the environmentally conscious hairdresser in south-eastern Styria.