Photo by Chad Plauche-Adkins Erin Stevens leaves as little of an environmental footprint as she can while cutting Colin Brockett’s hair in Marietta.

MARIETTA — If someone goes to a salon, people tend to think that they care mostly about how the world perceives their appearance.

But for the customers who frequent Modest Peacock, a new hair salon at 172 Front St., how they perceive the earth matters more than their own vanity.

Erin Stevens, owner of Modest Peacock, said the name of her establishment matches her personality.

“Peacocks are beautiful, but kind of pretentious,” she said. “I played around with the idea until I came up with a name that was more like me.”

Stevens said she has run the business for almost four years out of her Marietta home and has been in the industry for 14 , but just opened up shop Dec. 11 on Front Street. Stevens said what sets her apart from other businesses in the area is her shop’s concern for the environment.

“We are part of the Green Circle family of sustainable salons,” she said. “We recycle 95 percent of all of our salon waste.”

Most people are familiar with glass, paper and metals being recycled, but Stevens said her salon waste is used for some unique purposes.

“I always try and use reusable gloves, but if I can’t, the disposable gloves are up-cycled into energy,” she said. “We even keep the cut hair. They stuff them into pantyhose and use it to absorb oil spills.”

Stevens said that since construction started on the salon in November, she has been trying to find the most environmentally friendly accessories for it, to include the hair washing stations.

“We use Eco-heads on the sinks,” she said. “They use 65 percent less water than standard ones.”

Stevens said that the heads also help provide comfort for the person in the chair.

“These heads keep misting down, stopping the water from getting into people’s faces,” she said.

Now that she has been working in the store for almost a month, Stevens said she wanted to decrease the echo in the shop. She kept the environment in mind for that decision as well.

“I didn’t want to use the standard (sound absorbing) panels,” she said. “I’m talking to a company in Columbus that uses petrified moss for that.”

Stevens said that the moss will give an even more comfortable setting in the salon as well as being environmentally sound.

The salon is teamed up with Aveda, a cosmetic company with its headquarters in Blaine, Minn. According to Stevens, the company uses all organic materials in its merchandise.

“They don’t use any petrochemicals in their products,” she said. “They build up and make hair feel heavy.”

Stevens said the company works in conjunction with the Yawanawa tribe in Brazil to harvest the ukuru nut, which they use to make their products.

“It’s more of a partnership,” she said. “(Aveda) gives a fair wage and just doesn’t tear down the rainforest. I wanted to work with a company that has a conscience and a mission.”

Colin Brockett, 32, of Marietta said more environmentally conscious stores are needed in the area.

“Marietta is long overdue for stores with this kind of practice,” he said. “It clearly sets (Modest Peacock) apart from their competition.”

Brockett said that he has been going to Stevens for his grooming needs for the last three years, and besides getting a great haircut, he knows she is trying to do all she can to help save the environment.

“It makes it that much easier to come here,” he said.

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At a Glance

* What: Modest Peacock Salon

* Where: 172 Front St.

* Hours: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday

* For information: Visit modestpeacock.co or call 740-371-5089