ASSESSMENT AS OF: JANUARY 2024
HOW TO GET STARTED
- Finish your last can of shaving cream
- Buy a disc of solid shaving soap
- Buy a shaving soap dish to hold the shaving soap
- Buy a shaving brush holder
- Use these in the shower if desired. Use a signal mirror in the shower to make shaving the shower easier
- Use the brush until the end of its life and then drop it into recycling
EMBRACE
- Can be used for over a decade if properly cared for
- Is made of infinitely recyclable stainless steel
- Is made of biodegradable badger hair
- Will be cheaper over the long run when used with shaving soap versus canned shaving cream
AVOID PRODUCT TYPE
Cans of Shaving Cream
AVOID
- Many shaving creams use preservatives to extend shelf life
- Shaving cream cans are often mixed material and cannot be easily recycled
- Inevitably these will end up in landfills and turn into microplastics
Noteworthy Product Attributes
Shaving cream comes in hard-to-recycle mixed material cans. Shaving cream also contains preservatives to extend shelf life. Going through 12 or more of these cans a year is not uncommon.
Overall Sustainability Score - 90 / 100
Score Breakdown
Manufacturing (Score - 10/10) - Made close to the target market
Distribution (Score - 10/10) - Made close to the target market
Cost (Score - 5/10) - Significantly more expensive than shaving cream in the short term but more economical over the long term
Packaging (Score - 10/10) - Comes in mostly sustainable packaging - cardboard and paperboard
Effectiveness (Score - 10/10) - Very effective as a lathering shaving brush used with a disch shaving soap bar
Lifespan (Score - 8/10) - Will likely last between 10 and 15 years if properly cared for
Fun (Score - 10/10) - Adds an element of ritual to a man-shaving routine
Relevance (Score - 10/10) - Used for decades to lather shaving soap - works effectively with shaving soap disc bars
Disposal (Score - 10/10) - Is stainless steel and badger hair - is recyclable and biodegradable
Recycling (Score - 7/10) - Is infinitely recyclable.
