Is your monthly manicure an environmental problem?

It’s not just about the tips

Although acrylic nail extensions or ‘tips’ are typically made from plastic, much of the waste generated by the mani-pedi sector comes from product packaging.

Most packaging received by beauty salons is immediately thrown away so that nail polishes can sit in their glass bottles on a shelf. The same goes for plastic packaging that houses nail files, buffers, clippers, scissors.

Although waste statistics specifically related to the nail industry are difficult to come by, the beauty industry as a whole generates around 421,000 lbs of waste every single day – and it’s safe to say that a portion of this comes from empty nail polish bottles, old nail files, and other single-use items.

Unfortunately, any goods used during the manicure process – including gloves, foils, cotton buds, cotton pads, buffers, nail files, and more – are considered contaminated both biologically and by chemicals used in polishes and removers.

This means salons won’t be able to send the contents of their bins to regular recycling plants even if they wanted to, meaning anytime we visit the salon for a little refresher, we’re likely adding to a globally growing pile of toxic waste.

Still, consumers aren’t really to blame for the way these items are packaged or sorted for recycling.

We might not have the power to change how companies perform, but for those concerned with the environmental impact of their manicure, it is possible to choose eco-friendlier options.

Is there such thing as eco-nails?

Ultimately, the most eco-friendly option would be to stop getting gel or acrylic nails altogether – but for many of us, that’s a luxury we are not willing to give up.

The alternative to acrylics are press-on nails, which are growing in popularity as they can be easily applied and removed at home. They’re also far cheaper than a visit to the salon, being sold on sites like SHEIN and AliExpress at unbelievably low prices.

While press-on extensions can be produced from materials like resin and gel, plastic is still the most commonly used material to create them. Most retailers don’t even list the material composition of the nails, which is likely a sign they are plastic-based.

In many cases, removed press on nails and bits of acrylic nails are too small to be recycled by traditional methods. They end up in standard rubbish bins and are sent to landfill or incinerated. Those sent landfill will likely take anywhere between 20 and 500 years to degrade, leaking chemicals into the environment and contaminating local soil.

That said, there are organisations striving for improved waste management practices in the beauty industry. In the UK, the Green Salon Collective is encouraging nail and hair salons to operate more sustainably. All nail techs have to do is throw cotton, foil, and nail tips into separate bins and have them picked up by specialists from the organisation.

The Green Salon Collective will then compost where possible or recycle the materials they receive. Sometimes they are even able to convert the waste into energy and send it to the national grid.

Choosing nail salons that have excellent recycling programs in place is a great way to keep your routine guilt-free. Let’s hope we see more initiatives like the Green Salon Collective popping up around the world in the future.