Write 500 words or less and Enter to Win a $75 Shaving Set. Please forward to your friends!

Single Use Plastic is necessarily being phased out of human life, but unfortunately not very quickly. Some places like California and India have taken bold steps to call a spade a spade and prohibit the use of various single use plastic items. Other states are happy to make and sell such items, but that doesn’t make it right.

The equivalent of 1 large dump truck of plastic is being dumped into the ocean every minute. Without major changes this number is expected to grow to 2 dump trucks per minute by 2030. Clearly, things need to change. By enabling the mass contamination of the ocean we jeopardize 1.) the balance of the entire Biosphere (e.g., the oxygen of every other breath comes from the ocean) and 2.) the primary protein food source (fish) for over 2 billion people.

In no way can a rational, sane person tell you that the mass poisoning of the Earth’s water systems is “good.” At best they could say it’s a negative side effect of an otherwise good thing, but that’s not entirely true either. Plastic additives like BPA are bad for people and animals. But yes, specialized plastics can be durable and useful; we can respect that thought while understanding that throwaway plastics are just no good — except to those making money off them.

So, we ask: What does it mean to eliminate plastic from an entire industry?

It means something to us, but we want to hear from you. Please write in 500 words or less what eliminating plastic from an entire industry could mean to you. You do not have to talk about the shaving industry but that is cool too! The winner will receive a shaving set from us [http://albatrossdesigns.it ] valued at over $75 and public recognition. To enter, please email a .pdf version of your entry to andrew@albatrossdesigns.it with “Eliminating Plastic” in the subject line by December 30.

For us, eliminating plastic from the shaving industry is huge and means a lot. We truly think we can do it. This is because our razors shave better. There is no sacrifice of shaving quality — you actually get an increase in it. Moreover, there is no increase in price, but rather a big reduction in it.

Because our razors make shaving and financial sense we think we can eliminate plastic from shaving. This seems like a huge feat, and it is. It would mean 2 Billion plastic razors just from the US would be guaranteed to not enter the ocean each year. It would represent a shining example from which we could learn how to change other products over to the sustainable side of things. And, most importantly, it would prove to others that those simple, easy switches they could make in their life in the name of sustainability are actually worth it. Sustainability is a game of inches, and we don’t have many more to lose.

To us, eliminating plastic from shaving is proof that single use plastic can be eliminated in other areas as well. It is the confidence of humanity in itself to create and contribute to the world we the people want to see. It is freedom in the form of increased personal capabilities and, therefore, an increased sense of personal worth.

The world needs all of our help these days. Here’s something measurable we can do together. Let’s get all of our friends and families on board about this idea. This idea of making a difference. Give our razors a try or give them as a gift to a loved one this holiday season!

PS: If you submit an essay entry we will give you a code good for 15% off one of our razors for your participation. Also, please pass this essay prompt onto teachers who may want to use it as a writing prompt. Thank you.