TreeHugger Picks: Dissin' Disposables
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 09.22.06
If the Umbrella Inside Out design competition (congratulations, Crayella!) has taught us anything, it's that nothing has to be disposable. There are lots of creative, functional solutions and alternatives to products that are designed to be thrown away. Here are some of examples of disposables getting dissed.
1) Whether you like gDiapers' flushability, Crianza Natural and The Nature Nappy's biodegradability, or cloth diapers' reusability, it's all good as long as it isn't disposable.
2) Packing reusable chopsticks is gaining momentum as a movement in Asia, and China has imposed a chopstick tax to keep disposables down.
3) Plastic bags are everywhere (and they make a mess), so IKEA in the UK is charging for them, and a town in Australia has completely banned them.
4) Using a straight razor cuts down on disposable blades; when it's time to sharpen, try the Razor Saver.
5) When it comes to coffee drinking, we sure like the ceramic version of "We Are Happy to Serve You" cup (designed by Graham Hill); when you're on the go, a reusable travel mug sure beats a new paper cup each day.
Regarding re-usable razors; This reminded me of the Rolls Razor. Do an image search. They are an elegantly designed re-usable "safety" razor. Now if you could update the design to a twin or tri blade system it may come back into vogue. I'm going to order myself an antique on, about 34 bucks, and try it.
I'm sure I'd slice my neck open with a straight razor. But then again I reuse my disposables for months on end before I switch them.
From the phenomenal number of coffee cups one sees in garage sales, Goodwill/Salvation Army and, frankly, most people's houses, perhaps the best coffee cup idea is to use one that already exists. Wired magazine this month has interesting stats on the equivalency of creating one ceramic cup versus paper and styrofoam. REUSE. SHARE. GIVE AWAY.
I love the idea of using a cut throat to stop throwing away disposables. However I've had problems finding an alternative to the, apparently, ubiquitous leather strop (the thing you sharpen it with). Something which could do the same thing that's both Vegan and organic would rock.
Ok, I was a dedicated straight razor user for about 3 years. The straight razor gives a great shave, but it takes TIME. Even after 3 years I couldn't shave very quickly without bleeding.
If you're the type of guy who needs to shave every day then you had better dedicate a good 20-30 minutes each morning to shaving and razor care.
Eventually I decided that I needed those 20-30 minutes of sleep more than I needed to avoid modern razors.
All grocery stores have been charging for disposable plastic bags in Norway since at least 1989 when I lived there for a year.
A few months ago I made the decision to switch to one of the original safety razors (the type using a removable razor blade). It seems to me a good compromise. It takes longer to shave than it does using one of the new multi bladed plastic things, but the blades are cheaper and require much less packaging. As well...I'm hoping it will help me make the jump to a straight razor in the future.