BDO versus hairdressing salon - when does a hairdresser not need to register and when do the obligations nonetheless arise?

The most important information for the hair salon owner is that the mere fact of providing hairdressing services does not automatically imply an obligation to register in the BDO. Official BDO material indicates that small service providers, including hairdressers, are exempt from registration with BDO as generators of municipal waste. In practice, this means that if a salon generates only municipal waste and operates under a standard collection system for such waste, this fact alone does not yet create an obligation to register. This is precisely why many ordinary hairdressing salons operate legally without a BDO number - but only if they really fall into this category.

When does a hairdressing salon usually not need to have a BDO?

This is most often the case when hairdressing activities are limited to classic services and only waste of a composition and nature similar to municipal waste is generated on the premises. Official BDO material indicates that small service activities, including hairdressing, benefit from an exemption from registration as a generator of such waste. In practice, this means a situation where the salon does not carry out waste generating activities requiring records, does not generate medical waste and is not subject to BDO under other titles, such as product. In such a model, a standard municipal waste collection contract is usually sufficient to handle the basic waste streams from the premises.

When can a hairdresser, however, fall into BDO duties?

The key is whether the salon remains exclusively with classic hairdressing services. BDO makes it clear that the beauty industry only benefits from the exemption as long as it does not generate medical waste, for example as a result of aesthetic medicine treatments. This means that if treatments generating medical waste occur on the premises alongside haircuts and colouring, the legal situation changes fundamentally. In addition, a company may be subject to BDO for an entirely different reason than salon waste itself, for example when it markets certain products or carries out activities covered by product obligations. This is why the answer to the question „does a hairdresser have to have BDO?” should not end with the word „hairdresser” alone, but with an analysis of the full scope of the business.

How to safely check the responsibilities of a hair salon?

The safest approach looks like this: first establish, exactly what waste is generated in the salon, and then check whether the activity goes beyond classic hairdressing services and whether the company falls into BDO for another reason. Official BDO material even provides a questionnaire to help determine whether an entity should submit a registration or update application, but the system itself stipulates that the result is informative and not a substitute for a proper analysis of the obligations. In practice, this means that a simple hairdressing salon will very often remain off the BDO register, but a salon combining hairdressing with more invasive beauty services or other product duties should check the subject much more thoroughly.

Frequently asked questions

If you want to check whether your hairdressing salon really should be listed in the BDO and whether the scope of services causes additional obligations, Ekopro Group provides assistance. On a day-to-day basis, we support entrepreneurs in topics related to BDO, registration, assessment of waste obligations, recording and reporting. Feel free to contact us we will help you determine whether your hairdressing salon benefits from an exemption or whether it already needs to sort out its duties in the BDO system.