ECO REPORT SHAVING HARDWARE
D
isposable razors have long been an iconic tool found in the bathrooms of millions of people across the globe. First hitting the market during the 1970s, their creation was spearheaded by brands such as Bic and Gillette, which remain household names to this day. However, as the understanding of the harm single-use plastics have on the environment continues to grow, why are ‘one-and-done’ razors still so prevalent in today’s society? Statistics report that an estimated 5.45 million people in the UK used disposable razors in 2020, the same year that bans were enforced for plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds in the country. Discussions around the environmental impact of single-use razors also feel comparatively less developed, according to Victoria Lawrence, Social Media Manager at online shaving product supplier Agent Shave.
“If so many people can get behind anti-plastic campaigns, like with straws and baby wipes, it makes you wonder why that’s not happening with plastic razors, because they are also designed to be disposable,” she explains. Single-use razors are particularly problematic due to the fact they can be made from a mix of plastic, metal and rubber, meaning most simply can not be recycled and end up in landfills. “It’s too time consuming to even consider recycling them, so many people just put it to the back of their mind,” she adds. It is the simplicity of using and throwing away which Lawrence argues is still too profitable for businesses and too easy for customers. Lawrence continues: “Brands have very cleverly realised that by building this model whereby you’ve got a very quick and easy way of shaving, you’re always going to have that repeated customer. The razor only lasts for so many shaves before it’s disposed of, just to be bought again, so they’ve got customers for life, haven’t they?”
A CUT ABOVE THE REST
Despite this, there has been a shift in consumer and brand attitudes towards the single-use razor, with a number of companies launching to specifically disrupt the market. Brands such as Jungle Culture, FFS and Shoreline Shaving all sell plastic-free alternatives to the traditional hardware offering. The move to reduce the amount of single-use razors entering landfills has even seen the comeback of the traditional safety razor design. One such brand is Nuddy, which has created a plastic-free safety razor that features a subscription model. Kassi Emadi, who founded the brand in July 2018, hadn’t initially explored the idea of selling razors, instead focusing Nuddy’s debut product line on soap bars. However, the brand noticed that its customer base was vocal about its desire to see an eco-friendly razor, suggesting Nuddy explore this option.
Emadi said the brand’s razor was born out of its customer community, and that she decided to keep things “old school” and fashion the brass-based
28 September 2022
SHAVING THE WORLD
A bathroom staple for over 50 years, disposable razors remain prominent in 2022. We explore the brands vying to create a more sustainable industry
ECOREPORT
product in the traditional style of a safety razor. “It does the job with just a single blade, and I think it is one of those things that if it is not broken, don’t try and fix it.” The brand’s subscription model allows customers to have additional blades delivered either monthly or bi-monthly. It also offers a starter box, including Nuddy’s solid brass razor, five
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