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Safety Razor – The Last Razor You’ll Buy | Sustainable Living Tips

van der hagen safety razor for less plastic pollution, an easy sustainable living tip via Old World New

The Last Razor

I just purchased my last razor EVER! If you’re thinking that I won’t be shaving anymore, you’re quite wrong. I purchased my last razor because it will be the one that I use, forevermore. No more disposable plastic razors contributing to our worldwide pollution problem. How am I able to use the same razor from here on out? I purchased a safety razor. Safety razors are “old-school,” and the old school had it right on this thing. People would purchase one razor and simply replace the blades. Now, I’ve done the same. No plastic pollution for smooth armpits and legs.

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The last razor you'll buy - the Safety Razor. This sustainable living tip and swap to reduce the plastic waste that shaving razors create

A Safety Razor vs. Disposable Razors

Today, we have it super easy – we purchase a set of plastic razors and throw them away as they stop working. But they don’t go “away.” They stay, they pollute our land and water, and more and more keep getting produced, transported, and sold. Easy doesn’t equal right, a lot of times. We assume the easier thing to do is to follow advertising, clip those coupons, and get the disposable razors.

What if I told you that a safety razor can be just as easy?

Matrix moment, mind blown! A safety razor is a sustainable option that works just as well, if not better, than disposable razors. When taken care of, the stainless steel blades don’t rust and hurt your skin as they wear out. It’ll be the last razor you buy, if you care for it properly. You can replace the blades when they finally do wear out, and most razors come packaged with a few extra blades, so it will be a long time before you have to do that!

Quick Facts

  • In 2016, world plastics production totaled around 335 million metric tons. source
  • Roughly half of annual plastic production is destined for a single-use product. source
  • Less than 1/5 of all plastic is recycled globally. Plastic recycling rates are highest in Europe at 30 percent. China’s rate is 25 percent.The United States recycles just 9 percent of its plastic trash. source
  • Plastics and polystyrene foam (Styrofoam) comprise 90% of all marine debris, with single use food and beverage containers being one of the most common items found in ocean and coastal surveys. source

  • One of the characteristics that make plastic so popular for use in a wide range of industries is that it is extremely durable and long-lasting. However, this trait also makes it persist in the environment. Plastics are photodegradable – meaning that they break down into smaller and smaller pieces when exposed to sunlight. Because the temperature they are exposed to in the ocean is much lower than that on land, the breakdown process takes much longer in the marine environment. source

How To Use A Safety Razor

  1. Assemble your razor by placing the blade inside of the head of the razor.
  2. Apply shaving cream; preferably from a minimally packaged shaving bar (like a bar of soap, but for shaving).
  3. Shave as you normally do, and remember to be very careful!
  4. Once you finish shaving, disassemble your razor and clean it; or you can clean it first and disassemble it. I take mine apart just to be as safe as possible. Next, I clean the blade and make sure it is dry so that it doesn’t rust. I then place the blade back in it’s waxed paper packaging, and place the razor handle back in the box that I purchased it in (because it fits so snug and sits still), and I’m all done!

safety razor (van der hagen) for less plastic pollution, an easy sustainable living tip via Old World New safety razor (van der hagen) for less plastic pollution, an easy sustainable living tip via Old World New safety razor (van der hagen) for less plastic pollution, an easy sustainable living tip via Old World Newsafety razor (van der hagen) for less plastic pollution, an easy sustainable living tip via Old World New safety razor (van der hagen) for less plastic pollution, an easy sustainable living tip via Old World New safety razor (van der hagen) for less plastic pollution, an easy sustainable living tip via Old World New

So, as you see, besides careful maintenance, there’s not much difference in a disposable razor and a safety razor. OH, WAIT! Yes there is – LESS POLLUTION! How easy of a swap is this, y’all? I think the most difficult part was spending $20 on it. Luckily for y’all, if you have time to plan ahead, you can buy the same Van Der Hagen safety razor on Amazon now for about $17.

What swaps are you making lately to be more eco-friendly and to produce less waste? Hopefully a safety razor will be one of those swaps!

xoxo dolls & dudes,

Addie

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Comments

  1. I’m trying to go zero waste, but terrified of safety razors. I’ve read that you are more likely to cut yourself, and that cuts are more severe. For shaving my armpits and bikini line … yep. terrifying. Have you had any problems? What solutions have you found?

    Reply

    • Hannah – I heard that, too, and I was so afraid to use it at first! I planned on making sure I had time to sit in the tub and shave, but ended up needing to shave quickly before an event, so I used it in the shower. I tried my best not to let my foot slip at all so as not to cut my skin.

      Overall, though, it is not very different from a regular razor! The main difference is that the blades I use are a LOT better than those cheap blades, and I take better care of it because I see it as an investment instead of something flimsy that will need to be thrown away soon anyway. As long as you take the normal precautions to stay safe while shaving, you’ll be fine. I really wonder where that rumor originated because it is unfortunately perpetuating the se of plastic razors.

      Reply

  2. These types of razors still scare me. I don’t use disposable razors, but I’m somewhere in between. However, I’ve transitioned my family over to Bamboo toothbrushes.

    Reply