One of the first decisions you’ll need to make when going green in the bathroom is choosing the right razor.
There are a few different options when it comes to eco-friendly razors, so it’s important to choose wisely and make the most of reducing the environmental impact of something you do almost every day.
If you assume that a man shaves 300 times a year, starts shaving at 18 and lives to 80 years old, that's nearly 20,000 shaves in a lifetime, so a daily change adds up in a big way over time.
Here are a few things to consider:
Razor types
There are four main types of razors on the market: replaceable cartridge, safety razors, straight razors, and electric razors. The most eco-friendly option would be a safety razor, followed by a straight razor. Electric razors and cartridges are the least eco-friendly options.
Straight razors are the second-most eco-friendly option. However, they do require a little more patience when using and require some maintenance on the blade between shaves to maintain its razor edge.
Finding the right razor blades
When it comes to blades, safety razors using replaceable double-edge blades are once again the most sustainable option. The (usually) cardboard packaging for a set of 5 or 10 double-edge razor blades is very minimal - not much bigger than a box of matches - and almost certainly recyclable. The difference in landfill waste between safety razors and cartridge razors like Gillette or Harry’s is immense.
Even if you choose a safety razor, you’ll still need to find the right razor blades - and here the options are legion with most costing $0.15 cents per blade blade. So the difference in price between safety razor blades and cartridge replacements is immense also!
Some of the better known brands include: Astra, 7 O’Clock, Derby, Feather, Personna, Wilkinson and Gillette. Our friends at sharpologist.com have a great overview of the best-selling double-edge blades so you can find the perfect match for your Mondial 1908 safety razor.
