Here's Why You Should Make The Switch From Disposable Razors

If you were on the internet in 2015, you probably remember the disturbing viral video of researchers pulling a plastic straw out of the nose of a Kemp's Ridley sea turtle. The video sparked an outcry against single-use plastics, and many companies, including Starbucks, announced plastic straw bans in response (via Time).

After the viral video of the distressed turtle hit YouTube, many animal lovers across the world bought reusable straws made of recyclable and compostable materials like bamboo, steel, and glass. And while reducing the number of disposable straws that inevitably end up in landfills is a good thing, straws are only a tiny fraction of the estimated 146 million tons of waste that ends up in landfills each year, 18% of which is plastic (via the Environmental Protection Agency).

Plastic straws are not the only single-use plastics that cannot be recycled and end up in landfills — or in the ocean. Plastic shopping bags, cutlery, food packaging, water bottles, and razors are just a few examples of plastics that are often unrecyclable.

Razors alone are a significant source of plastic waste that goes directly to the landfill. The Environmental Protection Agency estimated in 1990 that an average of two billion disposable plastic razors are thrown away every year — and that number is only growing as more Americans are using disposable razors.