So you just started wet shaving and things are going really good. Yeah it’s taken a few shaves to get the hang of it but you’ve made it through your first week and you’re really starting to figure out the technique and enjoy the process.
You’ve been using the same blade throughout your first week, but it’s been 4 or 5 shaves now and you can tell it’s time to change out the old dull blade for a fresh sharp one. You safely remove the used double-edge blade from the safety razor and replace it with a new blade. But there’s a problem now: what the heck are you supposed to do with the old blade?
Your common sense is telling you you can’t just throw it away in the trash like you would with a disposable or cartridge razor. But if you can’t just put it in the trash, what should you do with it?
Well first of all, good job listening to your intuition! You absolutely should never dispose a loose razor blade in the trash. They are contaminated waste with skin residue and possibly blood on it. And while a “dull” blade may not be sharp enough for a good shave anymore, it can still be a safety hazard.
Let’s Find a Safe and Convenient
Way to Dispose Your Used Blades
The most important factor to keep in mind when deciding where, how and when to dispose your blades is safety. If there is any risk of someone accidentally handling or being exposed to the blade after you supposedly disposed of it for good, it is not safe enough and you need to find another way.
There’s no reason you can’t find a solution that is safe 100% of the time.
So safety is the #1 factor to take into consideration, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still look for the most convenient way that is still safe. After all, most guys typically change their blades every 3 to 6 shaves, so you’re going to be doing this somewhat frequently.
You don’t want to make this part of the process a laborious chore every time. Luckily for you though, I have identified several ways you can achieve a safe and convenient way to discard your old used double-edge razor blades, so no excuses.
Be A Responsible Wet Shaver
What responsibility do you have to properly and safely dispose of your used blades? I am not an attorney so I have no idea what your legal responsibility is, but morally I think you have a responsibility to take care of anyone that could potentially come in contact with your discarded blades.
Who am I thinking of that could come in contact with them that you should look out for?
- Your family or anyone else living in the same house as you
- The sanitation workers picking up your trash and processing it
The first is group fairly obvious. Everyone wants to keep their family safe and prevent a family member or friend from serious injury by surprising them with a loose blade. And achieving this might seem easy, but it’s not always the case.
For example, what if you have little kids in your house? They can be very curious and like to put their hands on everything. What if a child accidentally got a hold of one of the blades you though you discarded for good? It sounds morbid, but I just want to make sure this never happens to you.
The second group I want you to help protect probably isn’t quite as obvious: sanitation workers. How many of you actually give a second thought about your trash when you put it in a dumpster or out on the curb for pickup? Well sanitation workers actually have to handle your trash and they already have enough to deal with when it comes to collecting and processing people’s garbage. Don’t be a jerk and make their job any more dangerous.
Where NOT to Dispose Your Used Blades
Before I get into the options of how you can safely dispose your double-edge blades, I first want to set some fundamental rules that you should follow no matter what method you choose for disposal.
Do not put loose blades in the trash!
I have already covered this rule, but it’s worth repeating: do not ever put a loose double-edge razor blade in the trash. You may think they won’t poke through or work their way free from where you have it lodged in, but they will. Trash moves around a lot when it gets moved and you never know what’s happening inside the trash bag where you can’t see.
Do not recycle them!
Most razor blades are made from recyclable metals. So you might be thinking to yourself, “Awesome! I’ll just recycle my blades!”
Well bad news for all my green friends, you can’t recycle razor blades. Double-edge blades are so thin that it’s easy for them to get caught in the machinery and damage it. Not to mention, they aren’t real safe.
So I am sorry to say it, but please don’t try and recycle your double-edge blades.
Thin plastic containers like bottles or cups
Don’t put your blades in a plastic water bottle or plastic. These are way too thin and can easily be poked through. Plastic bottles and cups are made to contain liquids, not sharp objects.
Anywhere a child can reach them
Don’t go to all the trouble of properly disposing you blades only to make the mistake of leaving the container where a toddler can reach them. It may sound silly, but childproof your bathroom!
Containers that do not have a secure lid/top
It is very important to use disposal containers that have lids that are or can be secured to the top. The last thing you want is for the lid to fall off and 50 used razor blades falling out all over the floor. If a lid can’t be secured to the top, don’t use it.
Blade banks built into your bathroom wall
Some older houses had a “blade bank” built into the wall in the bathroom. We get that this is what it was intended for, but it is a terrible idea. I mean who eventually gets the blades out of the wall, the safety razor fairy? Eventually when you want to remodel your bathroom, all those blades are going to be behind the wall and it’s going to be a nightmare to remove them safely.
So those are some of the places you should not discard your blades, so where should you? Here are 5 options you can choose from.
5 Options for Disposing Safety Razor Blades
Option #1: Use the Slotted Compartment on the Bottom of the Plastic Container Your Blades Came In
Want the easiest solution for disposing of your razor blades? Use the slotted compartment on the bottom of the plastic dispenser your double-edge blades came in.
When you're done with a blade, simply insert it into the slotted compartment. Keep doing this until you either run out of blades or the compartment at the bottom gets too tight for any more. Don’t try to force any additional blades when it seems full. Err on the side of caution.
Once you deem it “full”, just throw the entire dispenser away in your trash.
So why doesn’t everyone use this simple solution? Because not all blade packs come with a slotted compartment on the bottom of the dispenser. Many blades are individually wrapped in a paper within the cardboard box they come in.
Option #2: Make a Blade Bank
If the blades you like to use don’t come with a slotted compartment at the bottom and you don’t want to spend money on any more products, don’t worry. You can still safely dispose of your double-edge blades by using a variety of options you already have at the house to make a “blade bank”.
A blade bank is basically a piggy bank, but you insert your loose blades in it instead of loose change. Some guys even use actually piggy banks for their blade banks because it has all the requirements for a blade bank: secure container with a slot in the top.
If you’re going to use an actual piggy bank though, try to find something that is a sturdy plastic. Stay away from ceramics because you want something that won’t break if you accidentally drop it.
Want to create a blade bank? You can use pretty much an empty container, jar or can, but it should meet the following requirements.
- Sturdy, nothing can poke through
- Relatively break-proof if it gets dropped
- Has a lid that is capable of having a small slit cut in it for blades to be inserted
What are some of our favorite containers we have seen used? Empty sauce jars, empty soup cans, empty pill bottles, etc.
Alright, so once you have the container you want to use wash it out and clean it up. Next, cut a thin slot in the lid. Then secure the lid to the top because the lid should not be coming off again. Lastly, make sure you clearly label what the container is. You don’t want somebody seeing it and making the mistake of thinking it is something else.
Keep the blade bank in a secure location that is still easily accessible when you’re shaving and just keep depositing your double-edge blades in it until it feels full. Once it’s full, aggressively tape the top shut and then you can discard it with the rest of your trash.
Option #3: Buy a Blade Bank
Like the idea of using a blade bank but don’t feel like going through the hassle of having to make one yourself? The good news is that you can just buy one!
The blade banks you can buy look quite a bit nicer than the homemade versions, but they serve the exact same purpose. There are several different styles available and they are extremely safe and effective. The Feather blade disposal case is one of the more popular, highly-regarded options and my personal favorite.
Again, keep it in a safe but convenient location and once it feels close to full, just dispose of it in your trash.
Option #4: Sharps Container
A sharps container is basically a stronger, more specialized version of a blade bank. The container is made from puncture-resistant plastic and they come with a secure lid.
Sharps containers are primarily used in the medical/healthcare field to dispose of anything “sharp” like needles, scalpels, blades, contaminated plastic, etc. So these are perfectly designed for also disposing of double-edge blades.
I have never used a sharps container so I am lacking a little first-hand knowledge on them, but you can buy them online or at most drugstores. It depends on your local laws and regulations on how to dispose of the sharps container once it’s full, but you can typically drop them off at a drugstore or pharmacy. Please check with your local government though for more information.
Option #5: 1 Blade At A Time
Let me make my thoughts very clear about option #5: it sucks.
Option #5 is not convenient or efficient, but I wanted to discuss it anyway so you know how to dispose of a loose razor blade when you get caught in a bind and for some reason don’t have access to your usual disposal method.
Here’s what you do: put the loose blade between two pieces of cardboard and thoroughly wrap the cardboard with tape until there is no risk of the blade escaping or poking through. Then you can throw it away in the trash.
Do you really want to do this process every time you need to dispose a blade?
Which Option Will Work Best For You?
So there you have it, 5 options for how you can safely discard your double-edge razor blades. It may seem like a hassle when you first get started because you can just chunk your blades in the trash anymore. But once you get your disposal method established, it will be just as easy as before.
Just remember though, whichever option you decide works best for you just make sure it is safe for you and anybody else that has the possibility of coming in contact with them.
