A new way to shave the old way. When you heard about the Dollar Shave Club or Harry’s, did you think it was a good idea? That they were a welcome change? Sure solved the pain of buying replacement blades in store. Did you still have hard time supporting them because of their wasteful blade cartridges? I did. Awesome concepts, too bad they are still so wasteful. Do you want to disrupt the current throwaway system? These razors can help, as every little bit counts.
You can reduce your waste and footprint, save money and challenge the status quo using a well designed minimalist razor. Some are a modern take on classic safety razors and others are a new design concepts. All of them use recyclable blades, unlike wasteful cartridges or disposable razors.
In the U.S. alone, approximately 3 billion plastic razors and cartridges get thrown out each year and end up in landfills, waterways and oceans. Did you know that classic safety razorblades are fully recyclable? 50 safety blades fit in the same footprint as one high end cartridge blade! This even affects the environmental footprint of packaging, shipping and emissions. The sad part is that the cartridge waste problem isn’t heading in the right direction throughout the world quite yet. Luckily, there are more well designed options and alternatives coming out each year.
First and foremost, always use up what you already have or pass it on to someone else that will use it. It doesn’t make sense to upgrade to a more sustainable product if you are just going to throw out your current product. In other words, remember to reduce and reuse first and only buy a zero waste product when needed.
These are the five best stylish sustainable razors currently on the market in my opinion. They should last you a lifetime. Good design without the planned obsolescence. I haven’t put them in any specific order, they all have their own advantages. Above all, pick the one that suits you when the time comes to replacing your current razor. Your Style, your choice.
MERKUR FUTUR
- Merkur’s modern take on the traditional safety razor
- Six blade settings to choose from
- Suitable for all wet shavers
- Wide and hefty handle
- Multiple finishes
- Brass body
- Weight: 135 g
- Accepts any safety razor blade
- 5 start reviews Fendrihan Canada
- Made in Germany
- Merkur
ROCKWELL MODEL T
- Rockwell’s easy butterfly opening for blade replacement
- Six dial blade setting
- Knurled grip handle
- Suitable for all skin types
- Multiple finishes
- Brass, stainless steel, and chromed zinc components
- Weight: 101 g
- Accepts any safety razors blades
- 5 star reviews Rockwell no review Fendrihan
- Designed, assembled and inspected in Canada
SUPPLY SINGLE EDGE 2.0
- Supply’s simple razor is built to last and takes injector blades
- Easy to load and change blades
- 3 adjustable blade settings (Sensitive, Comfortable, and Ultra Close)
- Multiple finishes
- Crafted in alloy or steel
- Alloy weight: 95 g Steel weight: 105 g
- Compatible with non-proprietary “injector” style blades
- History of the injector razor blade
- 5 star reviews SUPPLY 4 star Fendrihan
- Made in China
LEAF RAZOR
- Leaf’s zero waste take on the modern cartridge razor
- Up to 3 blades
- Mild, moderate and close shave options
- Built in pivoting head
- All metal construction
- Multiple finishes
- Weight: unknown
- Accepts 1/2 safety razor blades (buy 1/2 blades or snap double edge ones)
- 4.5 star reviews Leaf
- Made in Taiwan
LEAF THE TWIG RAZOR
- Leaf’s fresh take on the classic shave
- head 2 times smaller than traditional safety razors
- Tuned to be forgiving for a quicker, easier learning curve
- Easy twist to open loading with magnetic load assist
- Zinc-alloy, finished for corrosion protection
- Multiple finishes
- Weight: 71 g
- Accepts 1/2 safety razor blades (buy 1/2 blades or snap double edge ones)
- 5 star reviews Leaf
- Made in China
I hope this helps you find your next Zero Waste razor. Let me know if there are other great sustainable products out there that you like. When it comes to buying blades, remember sustainability. First, consider blades that aren’t packaged in excessive plastic as some brands do. A good example are Astra blades. They come wrapped in paper and are packaged in a paper box. Second, make sure to wipe your blade dry after use as it will extend its usable life. Third, relish in the huge savings from the minimal cost of sustainable blades. Lastly, enjoy your new shaving ritual!
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Pat
Pat is a Ski Patroller/Avalanche Technician with a keen interest in design and sustainable living due to a longtime passion for the outdoors. Seeing glaciers melt, seasons change, summer skies full of smoke and beach pollution first hand, motivate him to make a difference.
As Yvon Chouinard Founder of Patagonia says “If you are not part of the solution, you are still part of the problem”.