Level 10 has done it again.
The Courtenay salon and spa came away with “Greenest Retailer” honours from the 2018 Vancouver Island EcoStar Awards gala held recently in Victoria.
The annual awards celebrate excellence in environmental achievement and leadership by organizations, businesses and individuals. Originally introduced by the Capital Regional District in the early 2000s, it’s now open to the whole Island and has been hosted by the Synergy Sustainability Institute for the last four years ago.
“Working in the sustainability industry we think it’s important to celebrate the amazing environmental and social initiatives being developed and implemented on Vancouver Island,” says Jen Fraser, a manager with Synergy. “There is a lot of inspiring work going on, and we’re thrilled that the EcoStar Awards recognize these efforts that may otherwise go unnoticed.”
But, in fact, Level 10 Eurospa has gotten noticed in recent years, both for its business and environmental achievements. Winner of several Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce honours, including its inaugural Sustainability Award in 2016, the full-service salon has made a point of providing top-notch customer care while reducing its environmental footprint.
“Everyone who works here is committed to ensuring our clients are happy, but it’s also about doing that in a responsible way that protects the environment,” says Leanne Boyd, owner of Level 10 Eurospa since its inception in 1990. “It’s our dedication to these guiding principles that helps us to continue to be successful. To be recognized for our efforts to reduce our environmental impact is such an honour.”
Those efforts have resulted in the diversion of more than six tonnes of waste from landfills and waterways in the last five years alone.
“We’ve always done our part with LED lighting, low-flow toilets, power-smart washers, composting and recycling – but now we manage over 95 per cent of our salon’s waste through the Green Circle Salon recycling and sustainability program, and the rest is compost,” notes Boyd. “Whatever can’t be recycled is greenly incinerated, creating renewable energy that’s directed back to the BC Hydro power grid.”
In 2017, the salon also switched to a tankless water system and new showerheads on all sinks, cutting its water and heating bills by almost half and dramatically reducing carbon emissions.
“To further improve our impact with our day-to-day operations and products sold, we created our own eco-friendly skincare and hair care lines, which have grown to be very popular.”
Additionally, Boyd became a certified Green Ambassador in March 2017, and later co-hosted an event that invited other Comox Valley salons to bring a week’s worth of their waste to be recycled and repurposed, and learn how they, too, can help reduce the industry’s environmental footprint.
“I know our judges were extremely impressed by the work Leanne and her team have accomplished,” says Fraser. “We love hearing about and recognizing businesses who go above and beyond.”
For a list of all the 2018 EcoStar winners, visit http://ecostarawards.com. To learn more about Level 10 Eurospa, visit www.level10eurospa.com.
