Shaving...or not...to save the planet

Discussion in 'General Shaving Talk' started by gorgo2, Feb 16, 2019.

  1. gorgo2

    gorgo2 geezerhood

    Anyone familiar with my posts knows I have no problem with cartridges, as long as they shave well (and the tech is so old that every one I've tried, does) and are reasonably priced. But whatever someone wants to pay...hey, go for it. Your money.

    But I want to get something off my chest. What is absurdly funny is opposition I've seen in other places to what we call traditional wetshaving...opposition that is in favor of modern means of shaving (cartridge systems).

    Nothing wrong with that in itself -- but the opposition I've seen a few times is for the stated reason that, somehow, how we shave is not helpful to the environment, etc. As if somehow using a clunky old antique to shave is going to harm Mother Earth, while using an allegedly recycled plastic cartridge unit bought from the health food store for $20 won't.

    That makes no sense to me. ALL the energy and resources that created my Senator were expended right around 80 years ago. Apart from what calories I burn while shaving, it costs zero energy to use today, and it has zero environmental impact. Bonus: if I use vintage blades, ditto on that point as well. I can bury a handful of them when they're done. In a few years, the iron/platinum/chromium content of four square inches of soil in my backyard will have risen just a hair aaaaaand...that's the extent of their effect on the environment.

    But every modern plastic cartridge -- DESIGNED TO BE DISPOSED OF -- invariably ends up in the landfill no matter which colored bin you toss it into. They're not recycled, it's too labor intensive to separate the steel from the plastic, and wouldn't be worth doing if it could be done. So they're going into the ground where they're going to sit for several centuries.

    In fact, the opposition on these grounds is so anti-logical and asinine that I figure it has got to be the work of paid shaving industry shills.

    Sorry for the rant. I don't see this opposition often but I do see it and never fail to point out the poster's stupidity when I do. They have yet to reply back (another sign that it's just a shill who doesn't actually believe what they post).
     
    Last edited: Feb 16, 2019
  2. Eeyore

    Eeyore Well-Known Member

    Yes, that is my main concern with cartridges; recycling is also an issue because recycling installations (here in the Netherlands) are not equipped to separate the plastic and metal.
     
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  3. brit

    brit in a box

    i recycle my de blades in a metal blade bank or tin,then deposit the container into the car parts scrap metal bin at work.they do get recycled along with the parts cars we recycle..as for the shave soaps i reuse the heavy plastic tubs for various nick nacks or remove labels and put soap refills in them.all but 3 of my 40 + razors are 50-90+ years old.a good portion of my brushes are vintage,i don't own a plastic shave bowl..etc..
    the opposition is full of crap and carts /disposables are not environmentally friendly,at least when i used them .the handles, packaging /blade holders.cases are for the most part plastic landfill fodder..
    maybe they are just pissed that we don't contribute our $$ to their supposed recycling schemes..now they even use batteries..now that's environmentally friendly...:(..
    if you like carts that's ok by me..just don't spout this crap as an advantage..rant approved..
     
  4. david of central florida

    david of central florida Rhubarb Rubber

    It's not the raw materials they wish to recycle, it's the coin from your pockets they wish to cycle into theirs.
    If they can cast a disparaging light into those who wish to learn the older ways in order to not learn themselves, they justify their expense and laziness at the same time.
     
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  5. lightcs1776

    lightcs1776 Well-Known Member

    I don't see a major environmental issue with either. I prefer the shave I get with DE and straight razors, but cost is the primary factor. Eith way, disposable razors can be recycled and DE blades can be recycled. I think folks would be better stewards of what God has given us if they simply would stop throwing their trash, from cans to wrappers, on the ground and along the streets.

    Sent from my DROID Turbo using Tapatalk
     
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  6. gorgo2

    gorgo2 geezerhood

    I hadn't considered that angle!
     
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  7. brit

    brit in a box

    i agree, there is just more to be recycled in the cart world that usually wasn t..
     
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  8. Sara-s

    Sara-s This Pun for Hire

    I don't think they are, here in the US either. It's generally true that products made from mixed materials tend to be harder to recycle.
     
  9. brit

    brit in a box

    its the sheer number of them .how many people who use them live in the u.s and canada , mexico alone.if every person who uses them throws a bic disposable out once a week..and we have only started recycling the green way the last 10-15 years approx..like straws and coffee lids.. i am not an activist ..plastic razors have been around since the 70s..
     
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  10. DaltonGang

    DaltonGang Ol' Itchy Whiskers

    I dont get into the "Save the Planet" aspect of shaving. For me, it's all about the shave. To me, Cartridge Razors are "Demon Spawn From Hell" , on my neck, and one of these will never touch my skin again. Some people are fine with carts, but they are hell on my face, and neck.
     
    Last edited: Feb 20, 2019
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  11. DaltonGang

    DaltonGang Ol' Itchy Whiskers

    If we want to help our planet, i think one of the best thing we can do is to put a shelf life on all plastics. Once exposed to UV lighting of the sun, it should break down at a predetermined rate. That way, if they are in the county dump, burried, they can still break down.
    Or, we could just burn the plastics, and papers, and have large efficient scrubbers on the incinerators. Other countries do this, why cant we???
     
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  12. jimjo1031

    jimjo1031 never bloomed myself

    The last I've read, Bic has been re-cycling disposables in France starting in 2010. They use the re-cycled parts for washing machines.
     
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  13. brit

    brit in a box

    curious how the washing machines work..:)
     
  14. stuartganis

    stuartganis Well-Known Member

    The planet will be here don't worry, we on the other hand might not..

    Sent from my QTAQZ3 using Tapatalk
     
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  15. Badgerstate

    Badgerstate Well-Known Member

    Thats kind of the issue I have with carts and disposables too. The good thing about DE blades is that as long as you use a metal blade bank, you can just toss the bank in the recycling when its full.
    That is one thing I always liked about the Schick Xtreme 3 though. You can snap the head off, toss the head in the trash and recycle the handle.
     
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  16. sm1h

    sm1h Member

    I actually got into wet-shaving partly to decrease my environmental footprint. I got myself a vintage DE and a second-hand brush, and while I still have to buy new blades I think that's a lot better than the continuous purchases I had to make to sustain my cartidge shaving.
     
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  17. CrustyCat

    CrustyCat Well-Known Member

    Yes, my blades never leave the house, they have a new home in the wall. I'm pretty sure Waste Management scours everyone's garbage for recyclables. Pretty sure it's big business for them. Don't have a lot of recycling options here.
     
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  18. gorgo2

    gorgo2 geezerhood

    I did not read the article but I saw a headline the other day saying that in some areas there are tons of unreclaimed consumer aluminum that recycling can't deal with because the market is flooded and/or the market price is too low to make it worth doing.
     
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  19. gorgo2

    gorgo2 geezerhood

    Asia produces at least as much industrial and commercial waste as the U.S., and more straight up raw pollutants.
     
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  20. 9nein9

    9nein9 Guest

    I reuse my SE blades in the workshop. Dull for shaving but lots sharp for other uses .
     
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