Embedding sustainability in the curriculum case study
How to Embed Sustainable Development into the Beauty Industry?
Summary
The School of Hair, Beauty and Related Therapies have been working hard to incorporate
sustainable development into the curriculum. Methods include investigating the beauty
products used in the salons and testing the pH levels of beauty chemicals used on the
skin. Students have worked on projects to promote recycling by encouraging fellow
students to bring in their own bottles for water instead of buying new ones. Furthermore
the Sports Science course looked into the ethical impacts of sportswear manufacturing
in third world countries.
The Project
The school began by showing students the “Story of Cosmetics”, a short film that outlines the
shocking truth about how the cosmetics industry impacts on consumer health. Individual
courses within the school then began looking at the products that are used on a daily basis and
investigating everything from the chemical impacts of dyes to nail varnishes and moisturisers
and deodorants. Students then considered how different beauty products were produced,
where products are produced and how the products are disposed of after use. A number of
classes have also worked on projects around the ethics of sportswear manufacturing and the
living conditions of workers abroad. An earlier project also investigated the purchase of organic
and Fairtrade salon uniforms for the students taking into consideration ethical and
environmental benefits along with cost implications.
Our Goals in Terms of ESD
The aim was to enable students to understand the importance of sustainable development and
make them aware that the earth is a finite resource which needs to be preserved. It was
important for students to think of sustainable development in terms of its impacts on the
environment, the economy and society. By learning about sustainable development students
are able to understand that having a manicure or change of hair colour, ultimately results in
waste products and chemicals which impacts on the environment, as everything we do is
intrinsically linked throughout the world.
Obstacles and Solutions
It is difficult to enable students to understand that sustainability is not all about waste and
recycling but also includes ethics (social), world markets (economics) and also the raw materials
and impacts on the environment from chemical extraction to disposal and pollution from
transportation of the beauty products.
Performance and Results
Tutors have said that students are more aware of the impacts that the beauty industry is having on
the environment, society and the economy. They have a better understanding of how the use of
chemicals in makeup, cosmetics and hair dye can negatively impact on a persons health as well
as the environment. Students have also considered the ethical impacts of beauty products and
Embedding sustainability in the curriculum case study
how people in third world countries, maufacturing these products may suffer detrimental impacts
as a result of poor working conditions, health problems from chemicals and a low standard of
living. Students who investigated the potential for purchasing organic and Fairtrade uniforms
discovered that the cost implications would increase the cost of the already expensive uniforms by
50%. This would therefore result in the students being unable to afford the uniforms, and was
deemed impractical to ask student to pay such high prices.
Lessons Learned
Embedding sustainable development into the school has not been a straight forward task. But it
has been important to ensure staff have a clear understanding of how their cirriculum areas can
integrate the concept of sustainablilty through a wide variety of information and “thinking outside
the box”. Rather than believing that sustainability is all about recycling and waste.
Further information
Cirriculum Manager– Catherine Peel
Sustainability Officer – Pam Reynolds