My Less Plastic PSA

I wrote this in the hope that you might be willing to consider changing your everyday habits to have a little impact on the planet.

I would consider myself “concerned” about the environment. I certainly believe that things we are doing as humans are directly contributing to climate change. But it is more than that. I think we all have an obligation to be good stewards of whatever we might have power over. I am not perfect, I still use items in plastic and have been known to throw away a ziploc bag now and again. There are things that I could be better about when it comes to climate change and being a good steward of the planet. But it doesn’t mean I should keep trying to do better.

Over five years ago, I decided that I was tired of paying $20 for a four pack of Gillette Fusion blades ($18 for 4 from Gillette, $24 for 5 from Walmart), which I ran through in about a month (a blade a week when I was being careful). I was also trying to be cautious about my plastic use and I realized that the blades, combined with the packaging, created a whole bunch of plastic waste. Plastic waste that could not be recycled.

I had this conversation with a friend many years ago and he called me a “tree-hugger” and laughed at my concern. I had been thinking about it for a while and had come up with a good analogy for my logic. If we had a can of food and decided to open it, eat what was inside, and the only place we could put the empty can was in our own backyard, we might consider repurposing the can for another use. Or, perhaps, seeing if we could somehow recycle the metal. I am not sure I changed his mind, but he did acknowledge that I might have “had a point.” There might be a reason why we have lost touch since …

Taking matters into my own hands, I bought myself what they call a “safety razor” — one of those old-timey metal razors — that weighs a ton and you put a single razor blade in the tip and shave with. I also bought a shaving brush (see photo). I then realized it would be smart to cut down on the shaving cream cans that had plastic on top because I wasn’t sure what happened to them when I put them in the recycle bin.

So I found a few companies that make “shaving soap” by hand and bought from them. I figured I would do some good by buying direct from a small, local business and also buying something that was not full of chemicals and synthetic scents. The Old Colony Company is one I have been using for the past two years. They don’t make the shaving soap any longer, but I found a place that had several tins of it, so I bought out their entire stock of shaving soap and, by the look of it, I should be in good shape for a few years.

When I started shaving with the safety razor I ended up looking like I went to war with a cat (I kinda hate cats) every time I shaved. It took a while to get used to shaving with it. Gillette puts the multi-blade razors on little shock absorbers so you need to press hard when you have thick, coarse hair like mine. Plus the weight of the handle and razor by Gillette is a fraction of the weight of the safety razor. After a few weeks, I got the hang of it (use a light touch). I have been shaving with that razor ever since (more than five years!). I kept my Gillette for travel and for manscaping around my privates in the shower. These days I buy one (1) pack of Gillette razors every year, if that.

Here’s what I learned: In February of 2016 I purchased a box of 100 blades for my safety razor for $10. I am still not done with that pack. The same number of blades from Gillette would have cost me $400. In addition, it turns out saving soap lasts a really long time. I go through about one tin every four to six months. Versus about one can of shaving cream a month. Not only am I saving some serious coin, I am also responsible for disposing of less plastic.

Emboldened, I realized that I was using about two plastic bottles of shampoo each month (I shower a lot) and decided to look into other options for shampoo. I found a natural bar of soap that smelled great and lathered nicely and began using it for both my hair and my body. Unfortunately, the company was so successful it got bought by one of the big companies who decided to make the soap less natural and, thus, less enjoyable to use. I recently switched to Crate 61. I like their commitment to reducing plastic and the soap works great.

Plus it comes in a recyclable cardboard box. Bonus.

I am not telling you to change your whole life. And I am certainly not the person who is maximizing every single aspect of his/her/their life to save the planet. But I do believe that if we all do a little, we can have a big impact on the world in which we live. If we start thinking about the entire planet as our collective back yard, maybe we should consider the things we throw in the garbage as going into that back yard. Our back yard.

I think most of us would agree that we should want to leave this world slightly better than we found it.

The thoughts and ideas expressed in this essay are the opinions of the author.

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