The outrageous cost and environmental damage of disposables

Dubbya · May 28, 2009

ScotchDave said:
The useful life of the product is also very important, if the metal product lasts N units of time and takes X units of energy to produce then the relative energy investment is X/N. If a plastic razor lasts N/50 units of time and takes Y units energy then 50Y/N is your energy investment. If Y is less than X/50, then the more environmentally object is the plastic razor.

Don't forget that, if recycled, Steel is almost infinitely useful. That is to say, if you put 2lb of steel into a recycling process, you get 2lb of steel out. The adjustment for oxidization only applies marginally because, with razors, one is recycling stainless steel which oxidizes at a rate so slow that it could be called, for the sake of argument, none at all.

jakespoppy · May 28, 2009

I would venture to guess that most gents who've made the switch to wet-shaving only to save money and for no other reason are probably not spending time on this board. We may be "preaching to the choir" with all these arguments/explanations/reasons for why we are here. As HerrHepcat said, "the luxury behind all the products makes me feel good!!! A chore has become a luxury" And in the case of razors, taking something that has in many cases been thrown on the scrapheap and giving it a new lease on life brings me great satisfaction. I don't want to sound environmentally insensitive, or like money doesn't matter, but that's not why I'm here. :wink:

40boy · May 28, 2009

nevermind. mis-read your post

fivefifty · May 28, 2009

NZDavid said:
Ive just done a brief recce of razor blade prices at our local supermarket and Warehouse store. Ill convert NZD to USD for the sake of simplicity. I suspect relative prices will be similar, but why not check them out for yourself?

Gillette Fusion 2 5-blade cartridges: 4 for $15.25. Price per blade = $3.81

Gillette Fusion 2 new razor with three blades: $10.97. Price per blade = $3.65

I overheard a bloke telling another bloke he bought a new Fusion razor with three blades each time and just threw his old one out. It was cheaper than buying replacement blades.

What a colossal waste! Both for the environment and your pocket. Its very similar to cheaper computer printers where it costs less to buy a new one complete with cartridges rather than replace the cartridges alone. Somethings very wrong here!

My Dad is a fusion shaver, so was I. The whole razor with the 3 blades goes on sale all the time, but the refills don't. My Dad has every version of the fusion made. Same with printers he buys a new printer every time the ink runs out.

NZDavid · May 28, 2009

The more you buy, the better for the economy. The more you keep, the better for the environment. :biggrin:

Can't believe how much stuff gets chucked out. The western world is phenomenally wasteful. Take up wet shaving, save the planet! With guys like young whippersnapper et al, there's hope for us all yet.

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<<Body and water. Our relationship with water is more profound than that with any other element on earth.>> Wiel Arets, Dutch architect, The Bathing Dutchman.

blantyre · May 28, 2009

If you really worry about the environmental impact and cost of shaving: grow a beard and trim it with scissors or use an electric razor with a rechargable battery. Even though enviromentalism and personal economy are good traits, any kind of wet shaving has little to do with either IMO.

NZDavid · May 28, 2009

blantyre said:
If you really worry about the environmental impact and cost of shaving: grow a beard and trim it with scissors or use an electric razor with a rechargable battery. Even though enviromentalism and personal economy are good traits, any kind of wet shaving has little to do with either IMO.

Not all greenies are beardies, not all beardies are greenies.

There's evidence that, historically, more baddies than goodies were hairy. Stalin, hairy; Gorbachev, smooth-shaven; Castro, hairy...

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The outrageous cost and environmental damage of disposables

Dubbya

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NZDavid

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