Welcome back to Waste-Less Wednesdays! 

I remember when I first started looking into plastic free alternatives for my bathroom products, shaving razors were top of the list.  With how much waste goes with each razor head + handle, and with how ineffective they are (like really… I know we’ve all been there and made a razor “work” longer than we should have. Razor burns? Prickly legs next day? In-grown hairs?), it’s hard not to target them at the top of the “need to ditch” list.

Razor heads are near impossible to dispose of sustainably due to their design and wide mixture of materials, meaning they HAVE to go to landfill, where they never decompose, and become hazardous objects to animals that may come across them. 

Now trust me – I know using a traditional style razor can feel scary and takes a bit to get used to, but I promise they’re not as scary you think.  It is true that it takes a few tries to get fully comfortable with it, so it’s important to take your time as you become familiar with the appropriate angles to hold and how much pressure to apply when shaving.  But after the first few rounds, you’ll wonder why you never switched sooner! (And yes you can use to shave everywhere. Yes. Even there.)

Aside from the obvious reasons this is such a beneficial swap, I find I get significantly smoother shaves using the razor blades.  Depending on the brand of razors, they last significantly longer than the plastic counter-parts; and while I wouldn’t recommend this…. I once had a blade last me more than a few months… Realistically for best performance you’d swap blades around every 5 uses, but I’m no stranger to making things last a little bit longer than I probably should (I’m frugal…what can I say).

What’s also cool about this alternative is that the metal blades can be recycled!  Some brands (like Albatross) will take blades back and use to turn into products like reusable cutlery sets.  I will add that it’s worth it to invest in a brand like Albatross.  Not only do they do ____ for initiatives, but the quality of their razor tools are amazing.  I had purchased a cheaper version from a boutique (don’t remember brand name), and unfortunately after about a year, the connect from the handle to the head rusted and broke apart.  Now, of course it’s better not to store these products in constant exposure to water – but I’ve had my Albatross razor for over 4 years now and have never had any issues.

If you’re a numbers person like me, there’s unfortunately not much readily available research on updated stats, but in the 90’s “the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported that America produced 2 billion disposable razors and blades. According to a more recent report by Statista, 163 million consumers in the U.S. used disposable razors in 2018.”

Remember that it’s the little changes you choose to make today, that lead to a greater impact tomorrow.

 If you’re looking for more guidance on what a “zero-waste” life looks like, check out my post: “How and What You Buy Matters.”

Stay passionate and curious,
Hunter 💛