Letter Asking for Plastic-Free Razors
Week 17
In 1990, the Environmental Protection Agency reported that America produces 2 billion throwaway razors and blades every year. Switching to a safety razor can significantly cut down on our individual waste, but ultimately, it's the big companies that should be held accountable for the amount of waste they produce.
This week, I'm writing to Venus to request that they phase out the plastic in disposable razors, even if it's just by making a more environmentally friendly reusable handle. Please use this template to write your own letter!
Good afternoon,
My name is Ali and I’ve been using Venus razors since I went through puberty in middle school. Now, two decades later, I’ve been making a conscious change to reduce my carbon footprint and I’ve started to notice how much waste I’ve been contributing to our precious earth. This includes waste from your disposable razors.
I’m writing to see if you’ll consider making your razors from a material other than plastic. The mixed materials mean that after use, your razors cannot be recycled (except by Terracycle). Even if they were recyclable, the EPA has reported that only 8% of plastics are actually recycled. The rest end up in landfills, where they will take hundreds of years to break down, or in our waterways, where they break down into microplastics that cause 100,000 marine animal deaths every year. In fact, it’s estimated that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.
I’m aware that nothing can happen overnight, but at least working towards phasing out plastics would be a huge step in the right direction. I know that reusable handles cut down a significant amount of plastic waste, so perhaps your team could think of a way to make the handle from something more environmentally friendly, like biodegradable bamboo or infintely recyclable stainless steel.
It's no secret that plastics have become increasingly problematic and our earth is suffering from the exorbitant amount of waste produced by humans. More and more people are becoming aware of these issues and working towards a brighter, cleaner future for the next generation, so I'm certain your consumers would be thrilled to see Venus take a stand in protecting our environment.
Thank you for your time,
Ali Hall