Thursday, September 30, 2010

Watching my footprint and fingers

As an avid outdoors man and parent of a young child another appeal of using a classic style double edge razor is from a conservation viewpoint.  The statistics of how many disposable plastic razors are thrown out per year are astounding & immense. 
 
Shave The Earth.  

Use a double edge razor that creates minimal waste and saves money as well. Most men spend approximately $250 a year on disposable razors and shaving cream from a can – both proven equally bad for our now fragile ecosystem. After the  initial investment of buying a high quality safety razor that will effectively last a lifetime, a realistic yearly shaving cost will average $59 per year.  And if you opt for a straight razor, which employs no disposable parts other the unused lather (biodegradable for sure) that finds it's way down the drain, your cost per shave and eco-footprint both diminish exponentially.

So where do the used blades go?  Many older homes and finer hotel rooms have a blade drop in the master bath..  a small slit cut in the wall, usually inside a medicine cabinet, into which you drop the spent blade.  It takes a tumble ride and lands someplace inside the wall...there to stay until a plumber or carpenter cracks open the wall.  A quick Google search of "DE Blade Bank" will turn up numerous commercial and DIY solutions ranging from a modified soup can to a sterling silver job from Tiffany's...  

My daughter and I searched a local home furnishing store and found what we thought to be a perfect receptacle.. our piggy bank comes complete with the red ambulance graphic painted on one side and a big band-aid on the other.

While I have no idea how many blades it will hold, or what I will do with it should it ever fill up, it should provide many years of safe blade keeping along with continued amusement for us...

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