Disposables & "Going Green"

[BurmaShaver]

First off, I want to say that I'm not a hardcore ecologist or anything, but I'm surprised that with ALL the talk about "going green," hybrids, using less petroleum, reducing, reusing, recycling, paper vs. plastic, landfills, etc, etc, ETC., (*whew*) I NEVER hear any activists talking about the thousands upon thousands of plastic razors that must end up in landfills every day.

Perhaps I'm out of the loop, but I've never heard of, or encountered, any recycling program for used razors (or blades). You'd think there would be a major campaign to at least switch to cartridges, only to avoid throwing away all the razor handles. And that switching to a DE, injector or STRAIGHT would make you a downright hero!

Puzzling....

 

[D. B. Cooper]

Well said- I agree

 

[burnwood]

I personally use a recycled plastic handle with recycled plastic cartridges called Preserve made by Recycline available at Whole Foods. So some of us are trying to do what little we can.

 

[Doc4]

Traditional wetshabving provides plenty of eco-friendly improvements for most guys' bathrooms which, you are quite correct, seem to have gone unnoticed.

 

[BurmaShaver]

Thanks for the heads-up, Burnwood! I just went to the the Recycline web site:

http://www.recycline.com/index.html

And they say the recyclable razors are now also at TARGET! It's a great idea....

 

[burnwood]

Glad you are looking for better options Burma. I have a dark blue one. Hope it was exclusive.

 

[bishop]

The environmental factor was one that I heavily considered in switching from cartridges to a DE. My wife used the Preserve razors from Whole Foods until I shaved her legs with a DE and she "converted."

I am surprised, like many of you, at how the wasteful cartridge razors are simply overlooked in all the environmental talk. I try to talk up DE's as much as I can when in an "environmental" discussion.

 

[soapbox]

I bought some of the Preserve Sensor cartridges right before I gave up on cartridges entirely -- I was using Sensors to shave my head, but now I just use a DE razor for my head too. Today I got a killer shave with my 1940s Aristocrat and a KAI blade! It was so good I skipped the balm and finished with Thayers.

The "green" angle of DE shaving is one way to bring people to traditional wet/DE shaving.

 

[Mainecanefan]

The "green" angle was icing on the cake for my switch over to DE shaving. After years of getting bad shaves with cartridges, the thought of not throwing more plastic into landfills and honking cans of goo as well made the switch that much more palatable to me and the wife.

 

[Rolo]

First off, I want to say that I'm not a hardcore ecologist or anything, but I'm surprised that with ALL the talk about "going green," hybrids, using less petroleum, reducing, reusing, recycling, paper vs. plastic, landfills, etc, etc, ETC., (*whew*) I NEVER hear any activists talking about the thousands upon thousands of plastic razors that must end up in landfills every day.

Perhaps I'm out of the loop, but I've never heard of, or encountered, any recycling program for used razors (or blades). You'd think there would be a major campaign to at least switch to cartridges, only to avoid throwing away all the razor handles. And that switching to a DE, injector or STRAIGHT would make you a downright hero!

Puzzling....

Most of the people I know are "green" or try to be as much as possible, and non of them use disposables. A couple of guys I know use a DE. Most use the Preserve cartridge with either a Gillette Sensor handle or a fancy after-market handle. It is still wasteful though, because cartridges are not recyclable, but not nearly as much as a disposable.

I use the Preserve Toothbrush though. It's also made out of recycled yogurt cups. When its time to change, you just send it back to them to have it recycled. Its a pretty good toothbrush and it can be found cheaply at Trader Joe's.

 

[ateace]

There's also surprisingly little (or no) mention of the effect that discarded disposables, cartidges and improperly discarded DEs can have on the wildlife that are attracted to garbage dumps. I'm not just talking about rats and mice, but birds and other animals. Those sharp edges are dangerous. I'm a huge fan of blade banks because when they become full, the whole thing can be tossed into the recycling bin.

 

[gabeyb]

Can a person recycle DE blades? If so, how?

 

[rodd]

Can a person recycle DE blades? If so, how?

They are stainless steel. Put them in a metal can and take to a metal scrapping or recycling place.

 

[ouch]

In my house, going green means sampling my wife's cooking.

 

[Robxcarlson]

They are stainless steel. Put them in a metal can and take to a metal scrapping or recycling place.

Do you suppose that these might be considered hazardous medical waste? I recycle everything that I possibly can, but I've been hesitant to consider recycling used blades for this reason.

 

[soapbox]

Do you suppose that these might be considered hazardous medical waste? I recycle everything that I possibly can, but I've been hesitant to consider recycling used blades for this reason.

Interesting point. I've certainly spilled a little blood with some DE blades. I would think that if you properly seal the blade safe shut and take it to a scrap metal or recycling center, that it wouldn't matter. They'll all be melted down anyway. I prefer a steel blade safe for this reason (whether you use a $1 blade safe from classicshaving.com or an empty can of condensed milk).

 

[Ltltony]

I personally use a recycled plastic handle with recycled plastic cartridges called Preserve made by Recycline available at Whole Foods. So some of us are trying to do what little we can.

1000 post in a month and you're a cartridge user

 

[soapbox]

1000 post in a month and you're a cartridge user

Shyeah, really Ray, shouldn't you stop torturing Mother Nature and start using a DE now?

 

[vcardona]

You'll be happy to know that DE shaving was mentioned in the latest issue of National Geographic's Green Guide. The blurb even included a picture of a Merkur HD and an Art of Shaving soap in a wooden bowl. Sadly, they did not mention the need for a brush.

 

[burnwood]

1000 post in a month and you're a cartridge user

I like the friends here. And I like the creams, aftershaves and other delights. Not many posts went on the safety razor threads.

Shyeah, really Ray, shouldn't you stop torturing Mother Nature and start using a DE now?

Hey hey hey. I have never hid my taste for the cartridge. I said all along that I had a big supply of Fusion cartridges to get through since I already had paid for them. I have the DE. It is waiting its turn and to make sure my hand is not shaking too much.