Decision makers have typically favored disposable LMAs because the purchase price is perceived to be less for a comparable quantity of disposable LMAs, in comparison with 1 reusable LMA with its associated labor costs for in-house reprocessing.6. Once the plastic has cooled, the pieces are released from the moulds. Finally, inclusion of the environmental impacts of labor for cleaning (from wages spent on goods and services) only nominally increases the total GHG and water impacts of reusable LMAs. The company reported that with their hazardous waste in 2016 11 percent was recycled, 49 percent incinerated with energy recovery, 8 percent sent to land disposal, and 32 percent was sent off to be treated in another way (For You for Everyone Registration Document). London
The next step in the process is the assembly of all the parts. The scope of our analysis, as is shown in Figure 1, includes extraction of material and energy resources, manufacturing, packaging and transport from the manufacturing site to the distribution center and the hospital, reprocessing, and eventual disposal. 1.Establish the purpose of the Eco-Indicator calculations Research about tungsten is ongoing and includes health effects and risks, degradation processes and an inventory of its use in the defense industry as a substitute for lead-based munitions (EPA). CASE STUDY ANALYSIS - CLEAN EDGE, NON DISPOSABLE RAZOR Q1. Bic Disposable Razor (1975). Plastics News Europe, 19 Nov. 2009, www.plasticsnewseurope.com/article/20091119/PNE/311199986/bic-disposable-razor-1975. Shabecoff, Philip. Please enable scripts and reload this page. To bring the metal to its final form, it is heated to extremely high temperatures to remove the binders, and to mold the metal particles together, in turn, creating a very strong and durable metal compound (Siddle, How Is Tungsten Carbide Formed?). #3. The Bic corporation considers their environmental impact and takes steps to reduce as much waste as possible. WC2N 6EZ, Redesigning the razor Life Cycle Assessment. Life cycle analysis takes into account the following categories: Energy consumption Water consumption Air emissions (including carbon dioxide and other global warming gases) Water emissions Generation of solid waste 1982, www.nytimes.com/1982/04/11/business/how-bic-lost-the-edge-to-gillette.html. Approximately 24 L/min of water are used by the autoclave for cooling, for a total of 960 L of water needed to sterilize an LMA 40 times. Uncertainties about the correctness of the model. DEHP leaches out upon exposure to heat and lipids, as would be the case in contact with mucous membranes. Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2011, 16. All of these equipment-related cases occurred before the routine implementation of sterilization procedures currently used in health care facilities.
3 Ways to Recycle Safety Razor Blades - wikiHow Life The biggest impact during the cartridge-based razor life-cycle is manufacturing the cartridge as this is the part which is hardest to make. There is no public data entailing the details of this plastics recyclability. The largest source of GHG emissions for the disposable LMAs (23%) is the production and polymerization of PVC, the main material constituent. Because of its high stability, PPO is a very widely used plastic for many different household items. BIC said that around 98 percent of its intercompany product transfer was done by transportation methods that were not related to air-freight (For You For Everyone Registration Document). After the parts are manufactured it is time for the final product assembly.
Disposable Razors at Best Price in India - IndiaMART It is also often not accepted in curbside recycling, and even when it is, it is not separated and recycled when it reaches the dumping station, making it an unsustainable and wasteful material (Polystyrene. Wikipedia.org). : Uses, Benefits, and Safety Facts. ChemicalSafetyFacts.org, 17 June 2019, www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/polystyrene/. An estimated 1 L of tap water was used to wash and rinse 1 LMA (or 40 L over a lifetime of 40 uses). If the reusable LMA is discarded prematurely, e.g., after 20 uses,16 the unit cost increases to $13 per unit, but decreases to $5.50 if the lifetime can be extended to 80 uses. Yet, tungsten has been found to deposit particles into the soil that causes some contamination, making it a recent concern to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The Bic USAs company website provides information about the making of the razors in the factories, regarding their inspection and factory standards, yet there is no mention for the environmental impact of the disposal. Phase 3: Life Cycle Impact Assessment. The Eco-Indicator method is a tool developed to help designers conduct a simplified LCA study. They also reported how they dealt with their non-hazardous waste 76 percent was recycled, 11 percent incineration with energy recovery, 10 percent was sent to land disposal, and the remaining 3 percent was sent off for a different treatment (For You for Everyone Registration Document). Table 2 shows the results of alternate assumption on the overall results. Direct emissions refer to any emissions that resulted from the burning of fossil fuels and Indirect emissions refer to any emissions that resulted from the generation of electricity. Reprints will not be available from the authors. Dbendorf, Switzerland, 2011, 12. : Uses, Benefits, and Safety Facts, ChemicalSafetyFacts.org,). Materials were matched with appropriate life cycle inventory records from the ecoinvent database.11 Injection molding was assumed for the hard plastic pieces (polycarbonate and ABS plastic) and thermoforming for the softer plastics (silicone, polypropylene, and PVC). We are proud that it is among the leading professional LCA software . BIC Group, 2016, For You For Everyone Registration Document. Anesth Analg 2004;99:6267, 17. What makes for an easy, simple, and affordable mass produced and used product costs more in its long afterlife in the landfill, out of sight of the buyers awareness. Policy H-135.945: Encouraging Alternatives to PVC/DEHP Products in Health. Eckelman, Matthew PhD*; Mosher, Margo; Gonzalez, Andres; Sherman, Jodi MD. Such an analysis is commonly performed using life cycle assessment. Nash, Nathaniel C. HOW BIC LOST THE EDGE TO GILLETTE. The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 Apr. With the amount of waste accumulated from the factories and the bulk of the razors ending up in landfills and oceans, a low price of $1 removes the buyer from how high the cost on the environment a disposable razor is. After that, the metal is pressed down to the desired blade thickness which is around 1mm (Manufacturing Processes). Redesigning the Razor Life Cycle Assessment.The Great Recovery, www.greatrecovery.org.uk/resources/3682/. 2 offers from $9.92. Accessed 28 Nov. 2019. www.thefabricator.com/thefabricator/article/stamping/die-basics-101-intro-to-stamping, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/08/07/landfill-waste-how-prevent-disposable-razor-plastic-pollution/1943345001/, http://www.greatrecovery.org.uk/resources/3682/, www.plasticsnewseurope.com/article/20091119/PNE/311199986/bic-disposable-razor-1975, www.nytimes.com/1982/04/11/business/how-bic-lost-the-edge-to-gillette.html, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemical-engineering/polyphenylene-oxides, www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-03/documents/ffrrofactsheet_contaminant_tungsten_january2014_final.pdf, www.kai-group.com/global/en/kai-factory/process/razor/, www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/reducing-trichloroethylene-tce-waste-fabricated-metals-sector, www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Safety-Razor.html, www.recyclingtoday.com/article/the-recycling-potential-of-polypropylene/, www.ssab.com/company/sustainability/sustainable-offering/steel-life-cycle?di=discover21C927E58ECC41198B78D915F7E3E2AF, BEHR Oil Based Interior/Exterior Primer and Sealer, California Academy of Sciences Living Roof Life Cycle, UC Davis Social Sciences and Humanities Building, A-Z List for Digital & Electronics Topics. The extraction and consumption of resources (including energy), as well as releases to air, water, and soil, are quantified throughout all stages. Siddle, Dave. This is where the razors are portioned into their desired packaging amounts, that will be sent off to consumers. The tracking can come from sales, and in 2018 more than $1.2 billion in disposable razors were sold in the U.S., with varying prices but many disposables costing less than $1 each (Olsen). Conversely, impacts can be reduced by autoclaving more LMAs at once or with other equipment with similar decontamination requirements. In addition, the impact categories of eutrophication (growth of microorganisms due to excess nutrients) and terrestrial ecotoxicity reflect the impacts on other species and ecosystems and have implications for public health.
Life Cycle Assessment: Disposable paper cups by Shanice Robbins 2006 have considered a process water flow of 10,000 m3/day for a time period of 15 years (system design life) as the function unit used in order to compare the different wastewater treatment processes . Lippiatt BC, Boyles AS.
13, 14 There are few published life cycle assessment studies of medical items (ref. Case Studies. Case Studies : Reducing BIC's Rejection Rates | KEYENCE America, www.keyence.com/solutions/case-studies/bic.jsp. Bic has attempted to lower their direct emissions by having factories world-wide and creating: a Transport Community which connects shipping managers on each continent to raise control for greenhouse gas emissions, optimize shipments and routes, and use only responsible carriers (Bic). Tungsten is a natural metal deposit that is found in metamorphic, and granitic igneous rocks, primarily in China, Russia, South Korea, South America, and the Rocky Mountains in the United States. A comparative cradle to grave life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to determine and analyze the environmental impacts of using disposable acrylic speculums versus using reusable stainless-steel speculums in a women's university health clinic where around 5,000 pelvic exams are conducted on a yearly basis. The long and harmful life-cycle of disposable razors is not reflected to the buyer browsing aisles of fully stocked razor shelves. Ans: (i) Significant growth in industry of super premium segment . Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a method used to estimate the total environmental impacts from producing a good or service. 2011, Packaging Technology and Science. This short course will give you an introduction to life cycle assessment (LCA) methods and how to apply them in real-life situations.. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a rapidly evolving tool used to determine impacts of products or systems over a range of environmental and resource issues. Swiss Center for Life Cycle Inventories. The remaining percentage is split up between energy consumption in their three facilities in: Clichy (France), Shelton (U.S.), and Cajamar (Brazil) (For You For Everyone: Registration Document, Bic). Choosing models that use alternate materials is recommended, particularly because the American Medical Association is urging hospitals and health systems to reduce their use of PVC products, especially those containing DEHP.26 The shipment of LMAs by air also greatly increased overall impacts, pointing to a strategy of bulk ordering from local distributors well in advance of use, and avoiding overnight shipment whenever possible. Both were assumed to be transported to Los Angeles, CA, by container ship, and from there by truck to the company distribution center in San Diego, CA. In 2016, Bic reduced packaging for their Soleil Razor by 40%. Anaesthesia 2000;55:7001, 18. The advantage of using this method compared to a more comprehensive LCA method is that its much simpler to carry out and to gather the required information because the data regarding the most common materials and processes has been collected in advance.
In their study of Life cycle assessment of wastewater treatment technologies treating petroleum process waters, Vlaopolous et al. There much environmentally friendly options when it comes to shavings, such as the traditional safety razor and straight razors, which can have a much longer life than disposable razors. Resources, Conservation & Recycling 156 (2020) 104704. Select patients who are highly infective warrant the choice of disposable devices; however, data do not support selecting disposables for all patients to avoid any possible risk of infection.
Life cycle assessment of stainless-steel reusable speculums versus Safety Razor. How Products Are Made www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Safety-Razor.html.
Disposable Blood Warmer Market 2023-2030 Future Forecasts Terracycle is a company that was created to address the issue of recyclable products that often end up in landfills. Disposable razors are designed for consumers that prefer minimum spending . When you take your blades in to the scrap metal center, choose the steel recycling bin. GaBi includes its own database containing life cycle inventories of processes such as polypropylene manufacturing, transportation, and landfill . Information on PPO plastics are difficult to find, as most of the data is about how it is made, and the chemical makeup and stability of the plastic, rather than information on the decomposition rate or waste used in the making of it. Paper diapers for infants, which are highly convenient as they do not require laundering like cloth diapers, are essential for daily life in Japan. 2002/03 and 2005/06, to include an assessment of the effects of a range of behavioural assumptions on the life cycle environmental impacts of the reusable nappy types, and to compare these with each other and with modern disposable nappies. Life cycle assessment software I used GaBi 6 software, produced by PE International.
Life-cycle assessment - Ways of reducing the use of resources - AQA Reducing Trichloroethylene (TCE) Waste in the Fabricated Metals Sector.EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 9 Aug. 2016, www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/reducing-trichloroethylene-tce-waste-fabricated-metals-sector. Environment Agency (Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable and Reusable Nappies in the U.K.) investigated the impact of three diapering systems: cloth diapers with home wash, cloth diapers with commercial laundry, and disposable diapers. Features Downloads. mmw*vA|5v*3n9IUt){e%!HN6@`
xcr@pz*Fbiq%1!TJ-CF*1OS|UZU\vQL7M?m'b-,r~S}Y&/{#U6U)S|%q[RB !3j~tj$h>5qtsJ./j?;eosyy*"Z`'wG"M6]O}UKqw[LzY9e
B,s&C4++_tI~& Me*lNU"Uigq\u7{:&VNC'rT]FB5jOa.%N%1*stBC]%y&RDs"#&iUX&?8sh:wJo ZjbO|KFmfC{:oX~'b> This is the fourth installment in a series of blogs in which weexplore how to design a product for circularity.
Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable and Reusable - LWW They are resins that maintain a high dimensional stability, which helps create fast and cheap plastic razor handles (Safety Razor). One of their most popular products is the disposable razor, which they started to manufacture in 1975. There is uncertainty in several model assumptions. Through an examination of how the raw materials: carbide steel, tungsten steel, and a combination of the plastics: polypropylene, polystyrene, and phenylene oxide of the razors decompose, and how much waste is accumulated in making the razors, an assessment can be made for the duration of their life cycle. It is at this stage that very small amounts of other metals such as iron, silicon, and chromium may be added to the carbide to increase its strength and durability. During a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), environmental impacts are evaluated throughout the entire life cycle of a product (production, use and disposal or recovery).This also includes the upstream and downstream processes associated with production (e.g., the production of . It is used in razor manufacturing mainly due to its high heat and water resistance, making it ideal for the conditions the product is used in. Production of razor blades across the industry is fairly standard.
Life Cycle Assessment - Sustainability Guide They have estimated that they expend around 11.77 gigajoules of energy per ton of their products that they produce (For You For Everyone Registration Document) The BIC report also categorized the energy where they obtained the energy. Kelly, John. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This document is an update and merger of two previous EPA documents on LCA ("Life Cycle Assessment: Inventory Guidelines and Principles," EPA/600/R-92/245, and "LCA101" from the LCAccess, website .
Life cycle assessment of bio-based products: a disposable diaper case LMA North America. The largest sources of both cancer and noncancer impacts for the reusable LMA are from emissions from waste management (35%), the mining and production of metals to build wastewater treatment infrastructure (25%), and the bleaching of packaging paper and the card insert (20%). The majority of life cycle human health impacts of disposable LMAs are caused by PVC use in packaging and the device itself. However, they also affirmed that they strive to make their products with an eco-design approach by using recycled materials or bioplastics in their different products (For You for Everyone Registration Document). Gillette Plastic Disposable Shaving Kit supermax, for Hotel. The cheap price of the razor does not reflect the high cost of its waste and impact on the environment. Reusable LMA cleaning was observed to proceed as follows. Siddle, Dave. The backbone of LCA is the life cycle inventory (LCI), an analysis of material and energy ows resulting from all phases of the product life cycle. 11 / Piece. In this paper, many details about the life cycle stages were not included. Choosing a less-green disposable will magnify your razor's manufacturing impact, but it won't change the overall picture very much. Europe, Plastic News.
Using Life Cycle Assessments to Understand Cloth vs. Disposables - BAHP The company urges users to mail packages over 15 lbs., in order to reduce the waste of mail as well, yet is not necessary. Phoenix: IEEE, 2008, 23. At an average of 10 reuse cycles, GHG impacts increase by >50%, and this is the break-even point at which the GHG emissions from reusable and disposable LMAs are essentially equal. In life cycle assessment, the basis of comparison is called the functional unit. For this report, the functional unit of the disposable and reusable LMAs was taken to be maintenance of airway patency by 40 disposable LMAs or 40 uses of 1 reusable LMA.9 Data collection was specific to Yale New Haven Hospital, including device transportation, cleaning procedures and labor, energy requirements, and disposal. There are only two components for the BIC disposable razors which are the plastic body and razor blade. This manuscript was handled by: Steven L. Shafer, MD. Small components such as inks and labels on the packaging and on the sterilization indicator strips are expected to have negligible impacts and were excluded from the analysis. The natural half life of a large stock of reusable laryngeal mask airways at a teaching hospital. Bic USAs 2016 registration document provides information about the waste produced during the manufacturing of the razors.
A Life Cycle Assessment of Reusable and Single-Use Central V - LWW American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Task Force on Infection Control. Iatrogenic transmission of the CreutzfeldtJakob disease agent has been reported in >250 patients worldwide, and 6 of these were linked to the use of contaminated equipment, all of which were neurosurgical related. Growing awareness of the negative impacts from the practice of health care on the environment and public health calls for the routine inclusion of life cycle criteria into the decision-making process of device selection. After the reusable LMA was washed and dried, it was then placed into a heat seal pouch, made of polypropylene film and paper. Product Ecology (PR) Consultants. Innovative and strategic advisor to leading philanthropies, corporates, governments, international institutions and NGOs. Disposable razors are a product that can be found in almost any average bathroom. Finally, the razors are packaged in cardboard and plastic, and shipped out to stores and markets globally for customers to purchase and use. In this paper, life cycle assessment (LCA) has been used as a tool to quantify the environmental impacts of disposable medical face masks. EPA. A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable and Reusable Packaging for the Distribution of Italian Fruit and Vegetables.
PDF An updated lifecycle assessment study for disposable and reusable nappies In order to carry out the Eco-Indicator analysis method, the methodology described below has to be followed: 1.Establish the purpose of the Eco-Indicator calculations 2.Define the life-cycle 3.Quantify the materials and processes 4.Complete the form 5.Interpret and analyse the results LeBlanc, Rick. The authors declare no conflict of interest. Bic did have an increase in non-hazardous waste due to: expansion work or renovation of buildings or development of new products and manufacturing equipment (For You For Everyone: Registration Document, Bic) For carbon footprint assessments for large companies, they are assessed on direct (scope 1) emissions and indirect (scope 2) emissions of greenhouse gases. The blades do eventually dissipate within the landfill, yet, it is not cost-free, as the tungsten waste can be ultimately harmful to the environment. There is also an additional resin called fluorine resin that is applied to the blades, which allows them to freely glide on the skin. BIC reported that every year around 2.6 billion of their razors are chosen by consumers every year (Shaver's). The majority of eutrophication impacts from disposable LMAs are from deposition of nitrogen oxide particulates from electricity generation and waste incineration, and impacts for the reusable LMA are nearly all from wastewater used in the cleaning process. Despite manufacturer-recommended cleaning processes, and various modifications thereof, proteinaceous material may remain on reusable LMAs.27 Of particular concern, these residues may expose patients to prions causing transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, CreutzfeldtJakob disease. This is because of the complexity of the life cycle, from the acquisition of materials to the management of a product at the end of its life. Encyclopaedia Brittanica, Encyclopaedia Brittanica, Inc., 26 Sept. 2012, www.britannica.com/technology/tungsten-processing#ref82029. Rogers, Tony. Here, Great Recovery Intern Sebastian de Cabo Portugal discusses Life Cycle Assessments. Chicago: American Medical Association, 2006, 27. The stability of the plastic components, while necessary for shelf stability and use, takes longer than one persons life-span to decompose.
Life Cycle Assessment of Reusable and Disposable Cleanroom Coveralls Teoh W, Lim Y. After the end of their recommended lifetime, reusable LMAs were also placed in municipal solid waste containers. With such a fast accumulating waste and slow decomposition rate, there must be changes and incentive for companies to rethink the disposable razor.
Amazon Best Sellers: Best Men's Disposable Shaving Razors Polystyrene is a naturally transparent thermoplastic that is available as both a typical solid plastic as well in the form of a rigid foam material (Rodgers, Everything You Need To Know About Polystyrene (PS).). Park Ridge, IL: American Society of Anesthesiologists, 1999, 15. Disposable razors are made up of three components: a hollowed plastic handle, the razor blade, and the plastic head of the razor that holds the blade (Safety Razor). For climate change impacts specifically, the reusable LMA contributes 7.4 kg CO2e of GHGs over its life cycle, and the equivalent 40 disposable LMAs contribute 11.3 kg CO2e, or approximately the equivalent to burning a gallon (4 L) of gasoline. Anesth Analg 1998;87:921, 3. For a number of perioperative textiles, surgical instruments, and anesthetic devices, a life cycle assessment (LCA) has been done and has shown reusables to be environmentally favorable to disposables [ 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 ]. Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link. The next step the blade goes through is called polishing in which is done using strops made out of cowhide to get the desired blade edge shape, the blade is then cut into the sizes of the individual blades, which are then sent off to be inspected. Life Cycle Impact Assessment is the estimation of indicators of the environmental pressures in terms of e.g. RSA
The designed short user-time of disposable razors, causes their life cycle to be spent mostly in the landfill where they will remain for hundreds of years due to non-biodegradable plastic, however, recycling the plastic and steel is possible if sent to specific recycling facilities, which could reduce the life cycle and negative impact on the environment. Despite this, a general perception is that reusable LMAs possess a safety profile inferior to that of disposable LMAs, thus contributing to the proliferation of the latter.
Life Cycle Assessment Study single use vs. multiple use Considering human health concerns, the majority (60%) of impacts for the disposable LMA is due to the production of polymers, PVC in particular, with emissions from incineration contributing another 15%. Questions and Answers: CreutzfeldtJakob Disease Infection-Control Practices. Disposable razors are a commonly used item for most Americans, and over two billion razors are thrown away every year in the United States (Shabecoff). The environmental impacts of the 2 LMAs were estimated using SimaPro life cycle assessment software and the Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability impact assessment method. The Fate of the Disposable Razor.Industrial Equipment News (IEN), 7 Aug. 2019, www.ien.com/product-development/news/21081402/the-fate-of-the-disposable-razor. : Uses, Benefits, and Safety Facts.ChemicalSafetyFacts.org, 17 June 2019, www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/polystyrene/. Marvel Product Razor Lady Body Shaver Disposable Razore. After the products are packaged, there has to be a way for them to get to the end consumer. Interpretation of results The last step in the process is to interpret the results and compare them against each other. Figure: Life Cycle Assessment steps: goal and scope definition, life cycle inventory, life cycle impact assessment and interpretation (Sala et al., 2016) In the goal and scope phase, the aims of the study are defined, namely the intended application, the reasons for carrying out the study and the intended audience.