An environmental cut above

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This article was published 14/10/2023 (726 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Pink lights may adorn Good Fortune Barbershop, but the South Osborne company is getting a global reputation for being green.

Square — the financial services giant known for its small point-of-sale systems — has listed Good Fortune Barbershop in its top five businesses prioritizing sustainability.

The barbershop is a finalist in Square’s inaugural awards, Square 50, which highlights 50 businesses across the globe. Square 50 encompasses 10 categories, including sustainability; people can vote for their favourite business in each category.

Good Fortune Barbershop is the only nominee from Winnipeg and one of seven in Canada.

“It feels awesome,” said Sam Rivait, co-owner of Good Fortune. “We are small, so our impact can only be so big, but I do feel like we try really hard.”

The South Osborne shop houses five barber chairs. Clients coming and going from those chairs accumulated, collectively, around 250 pounds of hair last year.

This year, the number will be closer to 500 pounds — there are more barbers, Rivait said. Good Fortune Barbershop recycles hair through Green Circle Salons, an organization dedicated to recycling and reclaiming barbershop and hair salon waste.

“I see that we are creating waste,” noted Rivait, 33. “I think it’s irresponsible to not be doing what you can to make sure you’re not making the planet worse.”

The business pays to recycle its customers’ hair. It bakes the roughly $1 fee into patrons’ bills.

When Rivait is not shaving locks, she might be planning a community cleanup — Good Fortune hosts an annual event drawing about 100 volunteers.

Rivait drew inspiration from West Broadway, where she had seen similar community cleanups.

“Once the snow melts, there’s just garbage everywhere. I kind of just tell volunteers, pay attention to the river walk, any bus routes, back lanes,” Rivait said.

She and co-owner Cait Bousfield have scoured for environmentally friendly cleaning products to use in the shop and stock hair-care products that are not tested on animals.

The owners wouldn’t have started a business without incorporating green-centred actions, Rivait said.

“We only have one planet. It’s so frustrating sometimes for me to see when people don’t care,” she said.

“There’s no going back from the damage that we cause.”

However, it’s often more work to make environmentally conscious choices, and it’s usually not cheap, Rivait relayed.

“It is hard to be put in positions sometimes where you’re like, ‘Well, this more sustainable decision is going to cost twice as much money,’ especially as a small business,” she said.

She wishes there were more incentives for Manitoba businesses to make green choices.

She would like to retrofit the South Osborne barbershop, but cost is a barrier.

“So many businesses are challenged on so many fronts — higher costs, labour challenges, recovering from COVID,” said Derek Earl, president of the non-profit BizforClimate. “As important as (saving the environment) is, it becomes another thing they have to learn and invest in.”

Manitoba businesses signing BizforClimate’s pledge show they want local politicians to prioritize action to limit global warming.

Nearly 170 companies have signed.

“This is our long-term competitiveness. This is about the economy that’s going to take us into the future,” Earl said. “Investors are looking for low emissions … companies (are) going to locate in cleaner jurisdictions.

“We should try to be on the forefront.”

There are local green incentives available, such as Efficiency Manitoba rebates, Earl noted. Still, BizforClimate signatories have indicated they believe more incentives would help.

A clear picture from government on Manitoba’s direction toward net zero emissions would also be useful, Earl said.

“There are quite a number of resources out there,” he added, highlighting BizforClimate and Manitoba Chambers of Commerce online toolkits. “(But) there is a clear need for some ongoing training and ways we can make it easier for business.”

Square chose Good Fortune Barbershop as one of its top five sustainability focused businesses by using first-party data and insights, Saumil Mehta, Square’s head of point of sale and omnichannel, wrote in an email.

Good Fortune joins businesses in the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan and France being recognized for “putting the planet first and prioritizing sustainability in their operations in remarkable ways,” Mehta wrote.

Each company is a source of inspiration to staff and customers, he added.

“We really love to see local businesses like Good Fortune setting the example for what it means to be a leader while also aligning the owners’ core values with how their business operates in Winnipeg,” Mehta stated.

Good Fortune Barbershop uses Square and has tested the corporation’s prototypes in the past, Rivait said. The Manitoba entrepreneurs didn’t apply for Square 50.

Square began Square 50 this year to celebrate resilient businesses who have faced unique challenges over the years, according to Mehta.

People can vote for their favourite business in each of the 10 categories. Voting is open at squareup.com and closes Oct. 24 at 3 a.m. CT. Winners, to be announced on Nov. 15, receive Square equipment.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com