Sustainable Brand of the Year

Open to independent professional brands demonstrating a clear commitment to sustainability across products, packaging or business operations. This category is for brands actively implementing responsible practices within the professional hair industry, with evidence of measurable action, innovation or long-term environmental consideration during the eligibility period.

Winning this award positions your brand among the businesses helping shape a more responsible future for the professional hair industry, reinforcing credibility, trust and long-term brand value. It gives salons, distributors and professionals greater confidence in your approach while providing a powerful platform to promote your sustainability story across campaigns, partnerships and industry conversations. Winners will also be invited to join the judging panel for The Indies - Salon & Stylist Awards UK.

• A written submission outlining the brand’s sustainability approach, commitments and professional positioning.

• Evidence of measurable sustainability initiatives across products, packaging, sourcing, manufacturing or business operations.

• Supporting materials including certifications, campaigns, education, reports or sustainability-focused activity relevant to the eligibility period. Future direction and long-term sustainability goals may also be included.

• This category does not have an eligible date and can include the history of your business and how sustainability has evolved.

How This Category Will Be Judged

Entries will first be reviewed based on the written submission, supporting evidence and overall impact within the professional hair industry. Judges will consider sustainability efforts across areas such as formulation, packaging, sourcing, education, operations and the long-term decisions being made by the brand.

Judges will also consider transparency, innovation, credibility and the way the brand is balancing sustainability with real professional performance and salon relevance.

Shortlisted brands may then move into professional product review and evaluation carried out by selected industry professionals where appropriate to the category.

To keep the process fair and independent, entries and product testing stages may be reviewed by different judges.

Product Submission Requirements

Shortlisted entrants may be required to submit selected products, packaging or supporting materials for professional review and evaluation. Product requirements, quantities and judging formats will be discussed directly with shortlisted entrants depending on the range entered and the most suitable way to assess the brand professionally.

Products and supporting materials may be reviewed through professional salon use, packaging evaluation and overall brand presentation where appropriate to the category. Products submitted for judging will not be returned unless agreed otherwise in writing.

If your business is a service rather than a product no submission will be required.

This category is not open to conglomerate-owned or publicly listed companies. Venture-backed brands are permitted, provided the brand operates independently within the professional market. Brands unable to demonstrate active sustainability initiatives or measurable environmental consideration within the eligibility period will not be considered.

To protect the integrity of the awards, all judges are required to declare any professional, commercial or personal relationships with entrants prior to scoring. Any judge with a declared conflict of interest will not be permitted to review, discuss or score the relevant entry or category.

Entry Recommendations

Strong entries should clearly demonstrate the practical steps the brand is taking towards sustainability within the professional hair industry. Judges are looking for brands creating meaningful long-term impact through areas such as packaging, formulation, sourcing, education, operations and overall business decisions while still delivering professional performance salons can rely on.

Supporting sustainability initiatives, certifications, campaigns, educational content, packaging examples, brand transparency and evidence of professional industry impact are strongly encouraged.

Entry Deadline

Final entry deadline for this category is 6 September 2026.

Shortlisted entrants may be contacted directly regarding additional judging stages, product submission requirements or further supporting information where applicable.