You wanna shave plasticfree? Ditch disposables and go zero waste.
A razor – a small item – that almost everyone possesses and uses more or less on a daily basis. What is your favorite brand ? Gillette (even autocorrect knows how to spell this correctly), Wilkinson Sword or do you prefer super soft and shiny legs with Venus divine ?
All of these razors are single or multi use razors and they all contain plastic pieces that are not or very hard to recycle. None of them is built to last longer than a few months. An estimate of 2 billion single and multi use razors are thrown away each year.
And then ? A to B ? From resource extraction, to consumption to waste. Linear – a one way street – a dead end ?
Sometimes it’s necessary to take one step back to go two steps ahead.
Change is coming ! Even big corporations like Procter & Gamble team up with organisations like terracycle to make an effort in order to recycle and save razors from landfills.
Now, close your eyes and imagine a razor without plastic. How would this item look ? You really did ? WOOOOAAAAHHH ! I know 😉 I am sure you´re going crazy about your wildest eco-shaving fantasies now.
If not, no worries – it’s pretty simple – we´ve been there already – if you count yourself to the lucky group of people who reached a blessed age of 80 years. Otherwise, you probably won’t remember a time without single use plastics. Sometimes it’s necessary to take one step back to go two steps ahead.
How to shave zero waste
Shaving zero waste ? Don’t shave.
Or use recyclable materials instead of disposable ones :). Change from plastic to a metal razor or bamboo metal version. Your safety razor will look slightly different to what you´re used to but has the same functionalities. One of the most obvious differences is that it has only one blade and that you can exchange this blade yourself.
You unscrew the razor head, remove the handle and simply replace the blade. The blade is much sharper than the ones in disposable razors and cuts the hair on the very root without hurting your skin.
You might need to invest a bit of your time to get used to the way you hold and lead your razor – that’s absolutely worth it tough. You’ll actively contribute to a waste free world and simultaneously realize that you neither need the additional soapy liquid on your razor nor 5 blades to have a smooth skin.
What does an eco friendly razor cost ?
You can buy a safety razor in eco-friendly shops or online – prices ranging between € 20, to € 50,- most commonly including 10 razor blades – that will last for about 2 years.
Do you want me to calculate ? Alright:
Let’s say you are female, you shave every 3 – 5 days and you choose a medium priced safety razor including 10 blades for € 35,- that lasts for 2 years that´s € 1,45 per month. Comparing it to a medium priced plastic razor for € 13,- with 4 blades that last for 8 months, that´s € 1,62 per month. Now, you might think – so what ? That´s 17 cents per month that I save, € 4,20 in two years. I don´t care.
So, how is this more beneficial than the razor you use since your body hair began to grow excessively while watching american pie and listening to teenage dirtbag (in case you were born in the 90ties of course) or ecstatically dancing to Hair and singing Aquarius out loud ( if you were made in the sixties) or while wiggling your Gen Z but watching Ed Sheerans & Justin Biebers – I don´t care. Did I make you care now ? Not, yet.
Here, you go – the benefits of a plastic free razor – in your face – literally ;).
Benefits of shaving plasticfree
- Reduces skin irritation
- It is fully recyclable
- Cleaning is easy, all you need is water and soap
- A safety razor is cheaper than a regular razor
- Materials like wood and metal can last a lifetime if you maintain them well
- it’s small, handy and some may say it looks beautiful
- And plenty more, watch this video about safety razor to know more
How to use a zero waste razor
Once you hold this unbelievably green item in your hand you may save hundreds of single use plastic razors from ending up in a landfill – You might even inherit it to your grand grand children in 2073 or so ;). However, let me tell you how it works before you get lost again in wild razor blade fantasies.
As mentioned before the razor usually comes with about 10 blades. There is a screw mechanism – it’s only one screw that you need to open. You cautiously take out one of the razor blades and place it on the screw, then you close it with the part that looks like a mother screw – et voilá – it´s done ! And if you need to clean or change it, you do it the other way round.
In between you will most probably shave and shorten whatever stands in your way of becoming your sexiest, wisest and best true self. Beard, armpits, genitals , legs – long or short, thin or fat and yes even this small hairy part on your big toe. Cut it all of – in a circular way !
Closing loops with a recyclable razor
A razor – a small item – that can change the world. The times of a minority of Birkenstock wearing, long armpit hair tree huggers yelling in front of nuclear power plants is over. We live in 2020 where the circular economy and recycling of our resources is no longer a choice – it is a must.
Wherever you start your journey towards being more eco-friendly, doesn´t matter – what matters is that you start – in small steps. And once you start, it is inevitable to take the next step. You change your shower gel that is infused with micro plastic to a biodegradable soap, you buy a bamboo toothbrush next time you visit the drugstore, you start carrying a water bottle with you – in other words you become conscious – of yourself, your surroundings and our planet – A.
