MY BIGGEST CHALLENGE

Recently crowned the first carbon-negative barbershop in the UK, MB chatted with OS Lifestyle co-owner Joe Steven to find out what it took to get here

T woyears of intermittent lockdowns gave OS Lifestyle co-owners Joe Steven and George Oakley the time to take an honest look behind the curtain and evaluate how their business was functioning. Admittedly rigid in their ways, the pair vowed to leave no stone unturned as they ventured out on a new sustainable path for OS – and for themselves.

Since launching in 2014, the OS portfolio has grown outside of Brighton with the opening of their second shop in London. “In each shop, we continue to build a community around sustainable living for its team and customers,” said Joe. Their business philosophy earned them an impressive clientele of like-minded individuals, unafraid to challenge and push them on their sustainable goals.

“The pandemic was the most challenging time for our business – in the best and worst ways,” Joe explained. “It was an uncertain time for everyone. It was difficult closing the barbershops and reassuring our team during a time when we couldn’t navigate ourselves. But we found our silver lining in the opportunity to take a step back and think about how we could improve.” Joe and George started speaking to Eco Offset, an organisation that allows you to compensate for your carbon emissions by investing in projects. The team are supporting projects for Uruguay, converting grasslands that have been over-farmed back into forests, the Amazon Rainforest, helping protect the largest remaining areas and Steam Energy, using rice husk as a source of energy. Essentially, this involvement meant OS Lifestyle became carbon negative as a company.

With the help of Eco Offset, they set out to reduce their emissions as much as possible and dug into everything OS Lifestyle was outputting. “We recorded everything, from how much our waste bags weighed per week, how many car journeys the team were making, to noting every train journey we took, and we collected this data for quite a few months,” Joe told us.

“IT TOOK ME FURTHER AFIELD THAN I’D BEEN BEFORE. AS A BIG LOVER OF NATURE AND A ZEALOUS BARBER, IT WAS THRILLING TO COMBINE TWO PASSIONS INTO ONE.”

In a climate that praises companies making a valiant effort to function sustainably and shuns those that aren’t, this culture can cultivate ‘green washers’. It is therefore important to Joe and George to make sure their work is honest, not only to distinguish themselves from greenwashing claims but also to stay true to themselves. “The biggest challenge is saying you’re going to do something, and actually doing it - and if you can’t, just be transparent about it,” Joe added.

Reflecting on his journey he’s been on in the rework of OS Lifestyle, Joe said: “It took me further afield than I’d been before. As a big lover of nature and a zealous barber, it was thrilling to combine two passions into one, in a way that leads the way for others in the industry.”

Their efforts have been met with positive feedback across the board. Their tagline, ‘Not just a barbers, but a lifestyle brand’ encapsulates their ethos and explains how they’ve attracted like-minded clients into their barbershop. “Sometimes clients will ask questions about where we’re at, what we’re doing and where we’re going next. We’ve even had some challenge us and bring to light things we hadn’t considered before,” Joe revealed. The next step for OS Lifestyle is to become net zero by 2025. “This will mean cutting our greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible,” Joe shared. “We’re looking to release five to six products within the next couple of years. The concept is a basic, easy-to-understand range with natural, eco-friendly ingredients. It took us about two years to release our first shampoo bar for these reasons, it’s important to us that the facts check out. We definitely think there’s a gap in the market, especially targeted towards men.”

Joe and George are spearheading the way for other barbershops, proving it’s never too late to abandon old ways of thinking and make a positive change. MB look forward to seeing what OS Lifestyle conquers next.