Thread: Disposal of used blades.

Well I just slip them into the slot on the back of the dispenser, but I have heard of a much better way of going about this. You need a can of soup without lumps in, and ideally this needs to be a ferrous can for recycling purposes. Just how you ascertain that short of wandering around the soup aisle with a magnet I don't know ... most are suitable apparently, at least in the UK. Punch a blade sized hole in the top, remove the soup et voila. Should be good for a lifetime (which is about the length of time I'd expect it to take to get the soup out unless you punch another hole in the bottom), and you can chuck the whole thing in the recycling with a clear conscience should you ever fill it up.

Thanks for all the great replies. They were all very helpful...Well apart from vthomlinson's post about cool looking piggy banks...Whaddya tryin' ta do ya clown...Kill my kids. Just joking mate, a great idea but not suited to my household just yet.
I know nothing about how the blades are packaged yet, but re-wrapping, then adding some extra wadding sounds easy. A soup can that's been emptied via a slot and small hole in the base is original. I like that idea too, but being as close to the ocean and the sea air that I am, the can might be susceptable to rust. And if I paint it then I might have inadvertantly gone back to a 'cool looking piggy bank', and thus the death of my children...

Thanks Gents for all the advice and help.


Mick

My blade dispensers have a slot for used blades but there are many ways if yours doesn't have these. I really like the piggy bank idea. You could also use any old pill bottles and cut a slot in the lid. A metal band aid box also comes into mind. The lid on these could be glued shut. There are many options available just don't throw them bare into the trash.

bj

well of course you aren't going to have the bank set in their toy box or anything.. i was thinking you would have it up high in your shave den..


when it all comes down to it.. whatever you put your blades in.. keep the container out of reach of the young ones.. i have 5 kids in my charge and i always make sure there is nothing available to them that can cause harm.. i've even stopped carrying a pocket knife.. it was way to easy for me to accidently leave it in the back pocket of a pair of pants i had changed and left on the floor of my room or in a hamper or something.. there are precautions that should be made before anything else is even considered.

I was only having a joke as I'm sure you know. I've just go limited space in the 'shave den'. SWMBO has majority share unfortunately. I don't have a concern with my young ones around knives. I've spent much quality time teaching them to respect them and leave them alone. A necessary precaution, as I have so bloody many of them. Razors blades wouldn't be too much problem either, except for the fact that you only need to look askance at them and you get a bad cut, unlike a knife in a pouch or sheath.
You're right though there are a multitude of ways to safely dispose of them as I have now learnt. Many thanks to you and all the others for your insightful suggestions.
I recieved my Merkur 34c HD only a few hours ago. I am keenly looking forward to tomorrows shave now. I have a sample pack of Merkur, Derby, Astra, Treet and Feather blades with extra Derby and Feathers sent as complimentary with the razor, on top of the Merkur blade that came with it. I recommend both Himage.com and Mensbiz.com for any Australians who are looking for shave gear.


Mick

oh yeah.. of course i knew you were only having a laugh.. this thread has really got me thinking though.. i have been putting the used blades in the dispensor and keeping them locked up.. but i'm wondering if i could make a bladesafe at home.. the soup can idea is good.. but sounds like a hastle to get set up.. i can just imagine the scent of spoiled cream of mushroom in my shave den.

That's one that I am thinking more and more about doing too. I think, and just so you know, I'm a bloody perfectionist, if you drilled (not punched, poked, bashed etc) into the base of the can and then, using a Dremel with a thin cutting blade, cut a narrow (both width and length) slot in the top just big enough for the blade to slide into end first, it would be a most suitable safe. If you chose a can containing something a little more liquid than soup, say fruit juice, it would be easier to empty.
To finish mine off I will decorate it with a nasty Skull and Crossbones, or perhaps crossed swords would be more appropriate, painted on as decoration.
Even better would be a re-usable flexible fridge magnet with the design on it, so you wouldn't need to keep decorating tin cans all the time. Just wrap it around the can and 'viola', 'Flo's yer uncle'!


Mick

great thinking.. perhaps one of those dole pineapple juice tins.. i'd have mine painted with the words "danger.. death inside" and a picture of luke wilson when he attempted suicide in the royal tenenbaums.

Originally Posted by MickR

I've just this very day ordered myself a Merkur 34c HD and a variety pack of blades. I will be using it for a few weeks to a month to get used to it, but then mostly sticking to using my straights.
What I want to know is, how the heck you safely dispose of the worn out DE blades? Yes you can chuck 'em in the bin, but used or not, those things are still bloody sharp. You wouldn't want one of them cutting through the garbage bag and slicing your leg for your troubles. And just throwing them straight into the kerbside bin as they are, could lead to one not making the leap into the disposal truck and landing in the grass just waiting for some unwary person to find with their feet (we have many bare footed children in the neighbourhood). So what is the best way to get rid of them? Sorry if it seems a silly question or if I come across as a full on safety freak. I'm just trying to find out the most responsible way of disposal.


Mick

Im wondering where you disposed that blades before? By the way, you should put/sealed them in an aluminum tin cans or any cans with caps and then dispose it and separate it in the other garbage. .you should have non-biodegradable, biodegradable trash cans/bags.

I'm not sure if I mis-understood you or vice versa, but to clarify, I've never had a call to dispose of DE blades up till this point. I've as yet to dispose of my first one, only having shaved with a DE once now. I'm a CT (or straight if you prefer) razor shaver as a general rule. No blades to dispose of there.

Garbage collection systems differ from state to state and country to country, so what you're saying we should have and what we really do have may well be two different things.

I was after ideas on how o dispose of blades sensibly and safely. With the input of many of the other posts I have decided to go for a 'blade safe' made from a can. It will also allow my perfectionist self and my artistic self to have a chance to escape for a period of time.
I thank you for your input all the same.


Mick