Razors are an essential part of many people's beauty routines, but they create a tremendous amount of waste.
A recent study estimated that in 2020, more than 158 million people used disposable razors in the United States alone — and since many of these razors use non-compostable, non-recyclable packaging, that's a huge amount of waste coming from the razor industry.
But some companies are seeking to reduce razor-based waste. Gillette, one of the world's most popular razor brands, recently announced a new partnership with Footprint, a company that helps retailers embrace alternatives to single-use plastics, particularly with plant-based solutions that reduce waste in landfills.
Footprint is producing recyclable packaging for Gillette's new Exfoliating Bar razor, which has a flashy new design that matches its sustainability-focused ethos.
The tray that holds the new razor is 100% plastic-free and boasts a bright green hue that sets it apart from most other recyclable products. Footprint ordinarily makes only white or brown packaging, but the manufacturer made an exception for the Gillette partnership.
"This project was unique for Footprint in that it was the first dyed product [we] produced in high volume that required developing a wet-end process to support the color and achieve consistent color from part to part," Collin Euteneuer, vice president of sales solution development for Footprint, told Packaging World.
The plastic-free package is the latest in Gillette's moves to uphold its goal to use 100% recyclable packaging by 2030. The green tray is made from fibers from bagasse and bamboo, which were selected as the primary materials due to their prevalence in the area near the manufacturing facility.
"Implementing new packaging technologies — that are designed to compete with plastic on both performance and price — in collaboration with a strong partner and industry leader like Gillette is an important step towards meaningfully reducing our dependence on single-use plastics," Troy Swope, the CEO and founder of Footprint, said in a press release.
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