As with all things ‘green’, the simplest acts sometimes raise the most complicated calculations. Today we look at the world of shaving, and examine the green options for clear-cutting our endlessly renewable body hair.
Option 1: Just don’t do it.
The greenest way to go is to sport the playoff beard (and legs?) all year long. Works for some people. Others find they may not have the facial follicles to effectively pull off the Lumberjack look.
Option 2: The Old School is the Green School
More straight razors have probably been bought for slasher flick props than shaving, but if you have steady nerves and can get past the creep factor, these are the most re-usable shaving devices around. Grab extra recycled toilet paper to put on all your cuts.
The safety blade system, with a shaving mug and lather, is pretty green. I have been using the same handle for over 25 years, and go through a 10-pack of Wilkinson Sword’s Classic Blades in just under a year. Williams Mug Shaving Soap makes months of nice fresh lather for only $1.99 a cake.
You can also use the brush & soap lather system with disposable razors if you want to avoid extra packaging on bottles and cans of gel or foam.
Pacific All-Natural Shaving Oil is another product option that lowers your lather footprint.
Option 3: Semi-Disposable Systems
For ladies and cycle racers, the Schick Intuition Naturals system offers a decent compromise. You will still have to throw away blade cartridges (with built-in lubricant) and eventually dispose of the handle someday as well. But the packaging is much better than anything else in the category, with 55% post-consumer recycled paperboard for the boxes and 25% post-consumer recycled content for the window on the shaver unit. Add to this the fact that you don’t need to use or dispose of additional packaging for shaving cream or gel, as the blades have lubrication built right in. I don’t shave my legs, personally, but found many positive reviews of this product online for comfort as well.
Option 4: Feel the buzz – go electric.
A high quality electric shaver that will last is a pretty good choice. It saves on water use, and if your electricity comes from hydroelectric power that’s even better. Bonus points if you can somehow charge your shaver with a solar panel. London Drugs has quite a few choices in this category.
As you can see, calculating the best ‘green’ choice sometimes raises more questions than it answers. Maybe let your stubble grow an extra day or two as you think about it. Every little bit counts.
