Albatross Safety Razor Blade Take Back Program
The Albatross Blade Take Back Program originally started because not all municipal recycling companies currently accept used razor blades. It was a way for them to ensure that their products would be truly Zero Waste and cradle-to-cradle. But, from the inception of this program they had more ambitious goals. Namely, that they wouldn’t just recycle the steel through a downward spiral of convention, but upcycle it into products as robust or more robust as the blades themselves. And, of course, if they are designing these subsequent products, they too will, necessarily, create a direct, positive environmental impact.
So far the program has been kicking proverbial butt, and they have are amazed by the amazing response from people. The Blade Take Back program began slowly. When they started they only asked for your blades if you lived in an area with a recycling center that did not accept blades. Then they started trying to get more and more blades as they got more and more dialed in with what the heck to do with all these blades! Now, they have set the goal of Taking Back all the blades they produce.
High quality stainless steel like that found in most shaving blades can be an infinitely reusable material, and they want to prevent as much of this material as possible from entering, say, landfills. They actively encourage customers – and users of any other brand of double edged shaving blades—to please send your used blades so that they can upcycle them into other awesome things!
HOW To Participate:
Well Earth Goods safety razor customers receive a small envelope with their blades. Used blades can be collected in this envelope. Once full simply insert the small envelope into any other envelope at least 3.5” X 5” large (USPS minimum) and send to:
Albatross Designs
PO Box 2254
Berkeley, CA 94702
If you are sending another brand’s blades to us, please make sure to use at least a double envelope to send us back your blades. You can store and ship your blades in a variety of containers, such as used pill bottles, a used soup can duct taped on one end, or by using a heavy weight internal envelope inserted into another envelope as is our standard procedure.
What are they making from the used blades?
All design work so far has centered around the question:
“What can we make out of these used blades that will maximize direct, positive environmental benefit?”
The answer for now? Well, there are likely many with a few front runners that they are focusing on. Details will be released about these in the coming months, especially as theycan rely on a better and better supply of blades—so please participate and help us Take Back 100% of the blades we sell and pass that awesome-ness forward!