I was staying in a hotel this past week. On the bathroom mirror was a little sticker that said that if I needed or had forgotten some bathroom article, toothbrush, razor, comb, or some other shower related item, I could just call the front desk. You might have seen a sticker like this on your travels. The interesting thing was the hotel was doing this to save the planet. I’m assuming that they were talking about planet Earth, but who knows. Saving a planet by loaning someone a comb or a razor is quite an accomplishment. Destroying a planet by leaving a comb at home is quite an accomplishment also.
Let’s start with the comb. Men have it lucky. They can have the same haircut for years, even decades. My personal hairstyle hasn’t changed in decades. My barber cuts my hair the same way every time. The only thing that is different is the amount of time that passes between barber visits. About every month or month and a half, I stop by the barbershop. In hectic times, two months would be a long time between barber visits. My hair would be cut the same way. I comb my hair the same way each day. Once I got into the ninth grade, I quit using the greasy kid stuff and I quit carrying a comb in my pocket. Now I only wash my hair and comb it the same way every day. There is no special shampoos, conditioners, colorings or anything. Even my comb is pretty simple. It is a big plastic comb with a handle. It is possible that I have had this same comb for decades. It takes no special care. Occasionally, I let it soak in a cup of water and give it a little clean and I’m ready to give my head the once over. There is a good chance that this comb could last me the rest of my life.
With an item as sturdy as this comb, I don’t see what danger the planet is in with me having a comb like this and even if I have to buy another one, what could the harm be to the planet? I even have enough money saved up to buy another comb should that necessity arise. How could this save or destroy a planet? It can only be a sticker for hotel patrons to believe that they are staying in a caring hotel chain. Who doesn’t want to save a planet?
I do remember a commercial from many years ago that had to do with razors blades. You might remember that medicine cabinets with mirrors were over sinks. You open the mirror and inside were shelves for medicines, soaps, etc. Some of these little cabinets had a little slot where you could discard a use razor blade. One television commercial wanted men to quit using these types of razors and begin using a new type of razor. They showed men putting the used razor into the slot in the medicine cabinet. The commercial asked what would happen when too many razors were put into the cabinet? Then they showed pictures of walls falling off of buildings. Entire city complexes of apartments would collapse. If men would only use the new razors, this type of destruction could be avoided.
Well, men did start using different types of razors and the world was saved. Don’t know what happens to all the razors I use now other than they eventually go into the trash.
Now I have the problem of what to do next. Am I the guy that is socially, ecologically, and economically responsible for saving a planet? Could it be that my using a single comb for many years be helpful to the planet or am I just a cheap skate that should replace my comb every year or so to help keep the comb industry economically viable?
I prefer to think I’m a nice guy and I’m saving an entire planet because of my prudent use of my comb. Think about that the next time you comb your hair.
