Truitt Rogers
Slim Fit Blazer, $69.99, H&M, hm.com. The Pique Polo Shirt, $18, Everlane, everlane.com. Everlane works with factories that follow ethical practices. Dusty denim jeans, price varies by color, Outland Denim, outlanddenim.com. Made with organic cotton. Rectangle glasses, $9.95, Zenni, zennioptical.com. Simply Tech backpack, $115.50, Ecoalf, ecoalf.com. Made with 50% recycled polyester from plastic bottles and 50% cotton
The look: Slim Fit Blazer, $69.99, H&M, hm.com. The Pique Polo Shirt, $18, Everlane, everlane.com. Everlane works with factories that follow ethical practices. Dusty denim jeans, price varies by color, Outland Denim, outlanddenim.com. Made with organic cotton. Rectangle glasses, $9.95, Zenni, zennioptical.com. Simply Tech backpack, $115.50, Ecoalf, ecoalf.com. Made with 50% recycled polyester from plastic bottles and 50% cotton
For someone who’s passionate about conservation, Benjamin Novak Hudgins certainly chose to work in one of the most infamous industries — hairdressing. Salons are responsible for about 150 million pounds of trash each year, according to salon product company Simply Organic Beauty. Hudgins, however, looked to buck the trend when he opened Novak Hair Studios on West Lancaster Avenue in 2018. His salon intentionally focuses on eco-friendly practices: LED bulbs. Recycling stations. An air-conditioning system that filters toxins.
But sustainability extends beyond business for Hudgins, who also makes conscious efforts to incorporate recycled pieces and ethical brands in his own personal style.
Bee T-shirt, Morgan Mercantile, $20, Novak Hair Salon. 100% of proceeds go to The Honeybee Conservancy. Pants, $28, Lula B’s Oak Cliff. Tennis-style sneakers in burnished leather, $398, HUGO BOSS, hugoboss.com. Aviator glasses, $6.95, Zenni, zennioptical.com
“At the end of the day, there’s no Planet B,” Hudgins says. “There’s only the planet we have right now. If we don’t choose to take care of that, then we’re going to have nothing for our grandkids and our grandkids’ grandkids. It’s important for us as business owners to take the initiative now.”
Air Oxford Shirt, $29, Everlane, everlane.com. Bow tie, $8, Lula B’s Oak Cliff. The Midweight Chino 9” Slim Short, $28, Everlane, everlane.com Perry Ellis reversible belt, $20, Marshalls. Square Glasses, $19, Zenni, zennioptical.com
Hudgins’ Tips for a More Sustainable Workplace
Beautiful lighting doesn’t have to be bad. Switch out your office bulbs with LEDs (which use 90% less energy and last approximately 100,000 hours) or compact fluorescent bulbs (less heat and a lot less mercury) to save on your monthly electric bill and also save the planet.
Install recycling stations next to every trash can. The City of Fort Worth has a program that is easy to contact, helps get you set up and takes all the guessing out of how to be a more sustainable business. Check out fortworthtexas.gov/solidwaste/commercial.
Freshen the air for a healthier office environment. The aloe vera plant helps to remove harmful pollutants known as volatile organic compounds from the air, takes up carbon dioxide and provides abundant oxygen back into the air around it.
Nix the Keurig (or at least the single-use cartridge). Single-use plastics (especially those that are nonrecyclable) are a massive worldwide problem. Use a shared coffee pot — it’s less expensive and provides lots of cups with one brew. You can also buy reusable coffee filter cups for your machine. Just add a few scoops of your favorite coffee into the pod, brew and clean it after you are done for the next colleague.
Switch your cleaning products and hand soaps. Truman’s is a subscription-based, nontoxic cleaning supply company that removes the bottles and makes it easy to stay stocked. Once you receive your first order of bottles and products, every subsequent month, you get refills without the bottle. Simple and effective for CEOs with a busy schedule.