Zero Waste Bathroom: The Safety Razor

I’ve spent the past year or so trying to change my lifestyle and habits, to do my part, as much as I can, to save the planet. It hasn’t been easy, and I am far from perfect, but I think it’s still worth sharing my story and journey with others. I’d like to inspire more people to re-evaluate their personal choices, and provide real solutions to some of the most pressing waste challenges we face as a society today. The idea of being “zero waste” or “minimalist” can be overwhelming, but I like to believe that if we all take small steps, wherever we can, it will add up to real change.

So here’s one small step: Start using a safety razor!

The Numbers

Stop using disposable razors; even the ones where you only need to change out the head generate a LOT of waste! This topic has been covered extensively on the internet, like here at Going Zero Waste and here at Recycle Nation, and an oft mentioned and never cited statistic is that according to the EPA, the US throws away 2 billion disposable razors a year.

Now, I SCOURED the internet and the EPA website looking for documentation to back up this claim. I could not find any modern figures from the EPA specific to razors and razor blades, so maybe someone out there can offer direction. The only modern figures related to trash generation I could find were more broad, the Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: 2014 Tables and Figures report published in December 2016.

The only EPA sources I could find for this 2 billion figure were in 2 documents, one from 1989 and the other from 1990:

• The Solid Waste Dilemma: An Agenda for Action, Final Report of the Municipal Solid Waste Task Force, Office of Solid Waste, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, February 1989, see page 6
  

  “Symptomatic of what social critics call our “throwaway society” are the many disposable products that are manufactured, imported, sold, used and thrown away; for example, we discard 1.6 billion pens, 2 billion razors and blades, and 16 billion diapers every year.”

• The Environmental Consumer’s Handbook, Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OS-305), EPA, October 1990, see page 10
  

  “Each year, the United States produces 1.6 billion disposable pens, 2 billion throwaway razors and blades, and 16 billion disposable diapers, to say nothing of eating utensils, plates, cups, and even cameras that are used once and then thrown away.”

Neither of these documents says where the number comes from, either, but given that it’s a number given by the EPA, I’m going to accept it at face value. At any rate, it means the information on other websites is pretty dated, so let’s try to bring that number a little closer to today.

Now a quick Google search indicates that the US population in 1990 was 249.6 million. That works out to 8 razors and blades per person each year. Obviously this is just a rough estimate, given that the entire population includes a lot of people, such as children, who don’t shave, but the number makes sense to me, if you think of the people who do shave changing out their razors once a month, or even more often than that. The estimate is reasonable, so let’s translate it to the 2014 population, of 318.6 million people. 318.6 million people * 8 razors per person = 2.5488 billion razors in 2014. That’s more than half a billion more razors every year. That’s a 25% increase that other websites aren’t accounting for in their figures.

If we go with 2016’s population of 323.1 million, the estimate jumps up by another 36,000 to 2.5848 billion razors and blades used.

The Solutions

1. Razors

Safety razors are regaining popularity, and you can find them at many companies. I bought mine from The Art of Shaving. I’d been interested in finding a safety razor for some time since my brother told me about his, so I went into this store on a bit of a whim when I was burning time at the mall waiting for a watch band to be replaced.

I’m glad I went into the store to pick out my razor. There are lots of different styles that feel different in your hand. I’m very tactile, so I liked being able to get a feel for the razor before committing to it, and the salesman was able to show me how to use it, let me practice with it, and really feel comfortable going home with it. I ended up picking out the “Cross Knurl Safety Razor by Merkur of Germany“. I was sorely tempted to buy the rose gold one, but it was $40 more, and I decided not to pay the pink tax. It also had a shorter handle, but I liked the longer handle better since I’d be using it in the shower.

There are many, many, many options out there for safety razors, and some a lot cheaper than the one I got. I think I paid a bit of a premium for the in-person experience, but on the other hand, without it I don’t know if I ever would have gotten around to actually doing it. Since posting this and sharing it with like-minded people, fellow zero waster Jane & Simple brought another company to my attention called Albatross Designs that not only sells razors and blades, but also has a blade take-back program (see more on this below under “Drawbacks”). The company is all about saving the oceans and sailing (another passion of mine), so I bought a razor (at the time on sale for just $20) and blades ($1.50 for 10) from them and will post an update when they arrive and I get to try them out!!

2. Shaving Cream

I stopped using shaving cream a long time ago, when I was too broke to afford it, and just used soap. Or nothing. That’s worked well for me for a long time now. However, when I bought my razor, the really nice salesman let me try the razor out on the back of my hand, and he provided some oil, and then shaving cream, and a balm after, and explained how each made for a better shave and skin. He offered me some samples to take home and I said “sure” without really thinking. To my dismay, the sample came in lovely little plastic packets. And I was too overwhelmed and socially anxious to tell him no thanks when I saw them because I had already said yes. Silly, I know, so I encourage everyone else to be braver and just say no to samples!

I have to admit that I really do like the pre-shave oil. Now that my sample is all gone, I decided I’d try some DIY. Lots of people swear by coconut oil, but I am concerned about it clogging up my drains. I decided to go with jojoba oil instead because it’s liquid at room temperature, so acceptable to put down the drain. I grabbed an empty pesto jar and mixed in lavender and rosemary essential oils with the jojoba oil, and so far that’s working really well for me. So now my problem is what to do with the essential oil and jojoba oil containers when they’ve run out, but that’s a topic for another time.

So far, knock on wood, I have yet to nick myself.

Drawbacks

1. Packaging

The particular razor I chose came in a box that has clear plastic windows. Granted, it isn’t much plastic, and certainly no more than a disposable razor would have had, but ideally you could find one with no plastic.

I would check out RetroRazor, who claims to have worked to minimize their packaging. They even have a post on finding plastic free replacement blades.

2. Disposal

I spent an inordinate amount of time this morning looking into what to do with the individual razor blades when they are dull. It seems that whether or not they are recyclable depends on your municipality and how they handle “sharps.” My locality is pretty vague on this issue, but the general guideline seems to be not to just put them in with your waste or recycling because of the risk of injury.

Most recommendations were to buy a razor disposal case like this one, FEATHER Blade Disposal Case, or offered instructions for making your own, such as using an old Altoids container, using a steel soup container, or anything that you would be able to easily seal. Once full, you can throw it away without fear of injuring anyone. I’d probably go the make-my-own route rather than buying something just to throw it away.

But a blade recycling program would be the most ideal. So far the only one I’ve been able to track down is VAN DER HAGEN. According to their website, they send you free blades, you send them back, and then they send you more. I signed up today and will keep you posted on how it goes. They sell shaving products as well. Update: Van Der Hagen cancelled their blade recycling program. However, as mentioned above, Albatross Designs not only sells razors and blades, but also has a blade take-back program, so I recommend checking them out if you do not have a local steel recycling facility.

I also signed up at a website called ShaveFace for information about their recycling program that is “launching soon.” I’m not sure if it’s for disposable razors only or if they intend to do just the blades as well, but I will keep you posted! They do not sell safety razors. UPDATE: As of at least Aug. 2019, the ShaveFace website is no longer active, so I assume the adventure has not been a success or they have changed directions. If I come across any other recycling information I will be sure to post it!

And as mentioned earlier, there’s still the issue of what to do with the essential oil bottles. There are lots of threads online for how to reuse and repurpose them, but very little information about how to recycle them, or, even better, of a take back program.

3. Travel

According to the TSA “What Can I Bring” website, safety razors are only allowed in carry on luggage WITHOUT the blade. Razor-type blades are permitted in checked bags, but “Any sharp objects in checked bags should be sheathed or securely wrapped to prevent injury to baggage handlers and inspectors.”

I make every effort to avoid checking a bag when I travel, which means I would need to pick up a new blade at a drug store or shaving store wherever I am going, and most come in plastic packaging. Which obviously only generates more waste. You could potentially plan ahead and order razors sent to wherever you planned to stay, if you were staying with friends or family, and heck, they might even let you use a blade of theirs if they have some. But if you’re heading to a hotel or similar location, you’re probably going to be out of luck.

Maybe a better option would be to have a more eco-friendly disposable razor designated for travel use only. One example is Preserve, which is made from recycled materials and the company takes back their own handles for recycling. It’s not a perfectly closed loop, as it doesn’t seem like they take back their own blades at this time, but at least they’re making an effort. I have not tried this razor, so I can’t give any sort of personal endorsement.

Conclusions

There are still some limitations with safety razors and at this point they aren’t perfectly waste free; however, compared with the alternatives of disposable razors, using a safety razor can dramatically reduce your environmental impact.

Why Even Bother With Shaving At All?

This is a valid question. Shaving in and of itself is loaded with all kinds of cultural baggage. I think the answer is different for everyone, and that’s okay. Many women decide that shaving isn’t for them. Some feel that by shaving they are feeding into the patriarchy by conforming to modern beauty standards. Some have sensitive skin that’s aggravating to shave. Some find that even using a safety razor is just too wasteful and opt to go au naturale for environmental reasons. Boys choose not to shave as well.

I think at the end of the day, you have to ask yourself, am I doing this for me? If the answer is yes, then I say good for you, shave away! If the answer is no, then maybe consider why you’re doing it, and if it’s only to please society or someone else and you really actually hate it, then give it up and do you instead. I only add the caveat here that I think marital bliss is a factor to consider. I hate kissing my husband when he’s scruffy, so he knows the drill – no shave, no kiss. If he told me suddenly that he was not shaving again, let’s be real, there would be some major discord in our relationship. And the tables could be turned. If I stopped shaving my legs, and he told me, hey, maybe I’m just following the norms of our patriarchal society, but I am utterly turned off by your fuzzy-wuzzy legs, I’d resume shaving.

Why have I not given up shaving altogether? Because I find a the feeling of fresh sheets on newly shaven legs to be one of the most satisfying sensations in the world. And since my own leg hair is pretty coarse, the feeling of stubbly legs on sheets is enough to keep me up at night. I honestly have no idea how boys sleep at night with all that hair. But that’s just me, and I accept that I’m probably a bit neurotic, so it’s fine. The point is that I’m at peace with my choice, and more so now than ever with my significantly less wasteful razor!