How Much Plastic!!??
Every minute, the equivalent of one garbage truck full of plastic is dumped into our oceans. Believe it or not, half of all plastic ever produced was made in the last 13 years and production continues to increase.
50% of Plastic Becomes Trash Within 1 Year of Purchase
We are by no means against plastic. We just believe it's important that we act to reduce our consumption of plastics where possible.
Where there is a realistic alternative, we believe people should have the option and the knowledge to make that choice.
What's the Impact?
By 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans. As I'm sure you can imagine, this isn't such a great thing for a life in the sea.
Everything from turtles to sea lions to dolphins to sea birds are affected. In fact, studies of albatross show 98% to have consumed some form of plastic.
Many marine organisms struggle to distinguish between common plastics and food. Animals that eat plastic often starve to death as plastic cannot be digested. In other words, it fills their stomachs and prevents them from eating real food.
I eat how much plastic per year!?
Setting aside the effects on wildlife, it's unclear how it might affect our own health. Plastics are increasingly found in the water we drink and the food we eat.
According to the Environmental Science and Technology journal, we might be eating anywhere between 39,000 and 52,000 micro-plastic particles per year.
It stands to reason that if plastics are entering our food chain, they will at some point pass to humans but what's the impact and where are they being found?
Plastic food!
The study mentioned above focused on micro-plastics found in beer, salt, seafood, sugar, alcohol and honey... all pretty standard items found in many peoples diets.
How does this impact me?
There's still a lot of unknowns about how plastics impact the body. Theories range from a toxic impact to damaging our immune system. The truth is, no one really knows at this stage.
However, we know enough about how plastics are produced and how they behave in our environment to be concerned about it's impact on human life.
Plastic Production
When plastic is produced, it's made with a variety of chemicals; many of which can be hazardous to our health.
As if the toxic chemicals used to produce the stuff wasn't enough, plastic has the properties to soak up toxins in the environment. Chemicals like lead are absorbed and released. This can cause liver conditions, hormonal disruption, immune system issues and childhood development problems.
What can I do?
Plastic has only really entered mass production in the past 70 years. It's scary to think what another 70 years of plastic production at vastly increased rates would do to the towns we live in.
Recycling is great but the real problem is over production and unnecessary production. Over 300 million tonnes of plastic is produced every year. If we can cut low usage plastics from our lives where a suitable alternative exists, it will make a huge impact on our environment and its future inhabitants.
The Plastic Recycling Challenge
If everyone were to cut low usage plastics where possible, it would surely allow us to better manage plastic recycling. The current global plastic recycling rate stands at 18%. A long way off where we need to be.
Perhaps part of the problem is an over supply and we just don't have the manpower to deal with the sheer volume of plastic waste?
Zero Waste Shaving
Our plastic free razors are designed for long term usage. They are made 100% from metallic materials and use a fully metallic double edge blade. We are completely free from single use plastics.
We believe shaving with a plastic free razor is a realistic alternative to the disposable and cartridge based razors. Not only will it help reduce plastic consumption, it provides a closer, more comfortable shave with less shaving rash and the blades cost a fraction of the price.