[Part of my series on Non-Disposable Alternatives to Disposable Items]

Why did people start throwing everything away?
Blame King C. Gillette.
If one man is responsible for the landfill mess, it’s him!

King C. Gillette invented the disposable razor in 1895, then spent six years on a marketing campaign to convince people to throw the blades away!!!

In the U.S alone, we throw away 2 billion disposable razors a year, so I guess his marketing campaign was a success.

Gillette invented not only the disposable razor, but the “razor and blades business model.” Basically, a business gives away or sells at a loss an item, then makes money on a replacement part that is designed to wear out and be replaced over and over again (like the annoying inkjet printer/cartridges scam we all put up with.) This is a business model that is designed to create waste!

Disposable razors are clogging up the landfills, and have been doing so for over 100 years. Some of you may be contentiously “solving” this problem by using recyclable/recyclable disposable razors like Preserve Eco-Friendly Recycled Handle Razors.

Let’s just stop with the disposable razor already.

Here’s your alternative:
1. Buy a Safety Razor. It looks just like your disposable razor, except it’s metal, beautiful, and works better. It’s also sharp on both sides, which takes a bit of getting used to.
Find one here: Classic Shaving
2. Dry your razor every time you use it! Studies have shown that drying your razor blade increases it’s lifespan.
3. Get a Razor Blade Sharpener here: Sustainable Village Razor Saver
4. Yes, you will have to toss that blade eventually (like once a year?), but you might be able to recycle it, since it’s metal! And that’s just a tiny strip of metal (that might be recycled) as opposed to a disposable razor or cartridge once a week.

The other alternative is of course the Straight Razor, but personally, those scare me. However nothing gets thrown away/recycled, so that’s a plus if you are more dexterous than I.

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