First declared in 1970, Earth Day is now an annual event celebrated on April 22 around the world to support and promote environmental protection. In the WorldSkills community, some former contestants share their views on how trade skills have a role to play in saving the planet.

Emmie Lindblad, a 24-year-old beauty therapist from Sweden, said she believes even the smallest individual changes can potentially have a noticeable impact if they snowball.

In high school, Lindblad was set to study economics until a facial treatment at a salon made her change career paths.

“As a beauty therapist,” she said, “you can help others feel better about themselves and offer them time for relaxation.”

At Gilda International Beauty School, where she studied, she was taught environmentally friendly practices and efficient use of materials.

“Teachers taught us to never use more products than we need for a treatment, and we always had specific amounts of things such as cotton pads,” she said. “We learned about the importance of reducing our waste.”

Salons use disposable materials to preserve cleanliness and sterility. 

“But we learned that if you can employ reusable materials and tools, then you should,” Lindblad said. “Our cardinal rule is to use just as much material as necessary but no more than that.

Lindblad won a Beauty Therapy Sustainability Award at the 2019 WorldSkills competition in the Russian city of Kazan.
In her current job, she implements other green initiatives.

“My co-workers and I have decided to use and sell only one or two brands, so when we need resupply, we can make a bulk order to avoid small deliveries that can be damaging to the climate,” said Lindblad. 

Lindblad comes in contact with a lot of people and said she believes that her commitment to preserving the Earth can be passed on.

“We are the future,” she said. “This planet is for our children and grandchildren, and it is our responsibility to keep it alive.”