London After that, the metal is pressed down to the desired blade thickness which is around 1mm (Manufacturing Processes). Since then, around 60 billion razors have been produced, distributed, and sold worldwide. Polycarbonate production (14%), transportation via truck (15%), thermoforming (13%), and waste disposal (11%) cause the majority of the remaining emissions. This was a cradle-to-grave study that included inputs and outputs for the manufacture, transport, use, and waste phases of the LMAs. The Environmental Protection Agency classifies DEHP as a probable carcinogen, and as a possible endocrine disrupter.24 The FDA issued an advisory in 2002 recommending steps be taken to reduce the risk of exposure to DEHP in certain populations.25 There is enough evidence of reproductive and developmental toxicant effects from DEHP for the FDA to recommend alternatives for patients deemed at high risk, namely infants, toddlers, and pregnant and lactating women. Their carbon footprint was reported with the highest offender being air travel for the product, and staff transportation coming from France: accounting for 73% of the companys annual greenhouse gas emissions (Bic). Sensitivity and simple life cycle cost analyses were conducted to aid in interpretation of the results. The full life cycle environmental impacts can be challenging to model, because modern production "pathways" can involve numerous interacting technologies, each of which can consume materials and energy that are themselves products of complex production processes. The autoclave was typically run with 5 LMAs, although loading varied significantly. 11 / Piece. 2.Define the life-cycle Alternate assumptions were used to test model sensitivity and to create bounds to aid interpretation of the results (Table 2). %PDF-1.5 % qILL@#nO @8 Safety Razor.How Products Are Made, www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Safety-Razor.html. Features Downloads. Thomas, G.P. PurposeIn this study, a life cycle assessment of a bioplastic based diaper was performed. Metal materials are sent for smelting and conversion to new alloys (Terracycle). At the end of applying the additives, the blades are once again heated, to cement the coating onto the blade. Of course the 2.6 billion razors were not, all the same, however, we can still give a ballpark estimate of how many tonnes of plastic/metal waste is being produced every year. Williams S, Henderson K. A survey into the number of times laryngeal masks are used. The buyer online is not exposed to the long lasting waste of the razors after they are thrown out. The specific type or blend of plastic for BIC razors is used is called polystyrene (Europe). The Bic Razor, Still the Sharpest of the Bunch. Plastics Le Mag, 31 Jan. 2017, plastics-themag.com/The-Bic-razor-still-the-sharpest-of-the-bunch. 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). Staff, RT. I found information about the whole blade manufacturing process, but could not find details about energy consumption in every step of the process. Poly(Phenylene Oxide). The Polymer Science Learning Center, www.pslc.ws/macrog/ppo.htm. 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. The next step in the process is the assembly of all the parts. BIC says its product beats out other models by 59 percent. The product doesnt contain any material labels, so the materials have been assumed to be low alloy steel for the body, PP for the plastic parts of the body, EPDM rubber for the grip and an acrylic polymer coating for the lubricating band. The authors declare no conflict of interest. Silver Spring, MD: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2002, 26. Bic USAs 2016 registration document provides information about the waste produced during the manufacturing of the razors. These benefits must be weighed against concerns regarding transmission of infection. The largest source of GHG emissions for the disposable LMAs (23%) is the production and polymerization of PVC, the main material constituent. Where material types were unknown, proxies were assumed from relevant literature,2 although more detailed material information from suppliers would permit a more robust analysis. How Does Polystyrene Recycling Work?HowStuffWorks Science, HowStuffWorks, 4 Apr. 2 offers from $9.92. Main methodological choices . Any extra plastic will be discarded, remelted, and reused (Safety Razor, madehow.com). Each time the steam autoclave machine conducts a sterilizing cycle, a large amount of energy is used to heat the steam. your express consent. This project is a collaboration between the Great Recovery Programme and Fab Lab London. 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. Land transport like trains and trucks use diesel as fuel and that produced 138,700 BTU (Energy Consumption by Mode of Transportation.). The majority of life cycle human health impacts of disposable LMAs are caused by PVC use in packaging and the device itself. There is always some level of uncertainty in the results and in the methodology; so users shouldnt take the numbers shown as absolute values, but more as a guide to prioritise work. Such an analysis is commonly performed using life cycle assessment. On the basis of observation at Yale New Haven Hospital, it takes approximately 10 minutes to conduct all cleaning processes for 1 LMA, which is equivalent to roughly $3 in wages. This break-even point will change depending on the category of environmental impact being considered. Questions and Answers: CreutzfeldtJakob Disease Infection-Control Practices. 1. Tungsten carbide is a carbide compound, made up of equal parts of tungsten and carbon. "Tungsten Processing." DEHP leaches out upon exposure to heat and lipids, as would be the case in contact with mucous membranes. Health care facilities can decrease their environmental impacts by using reusable LMAs, by selecting disposable LMA models that are not made of certain plastics, and by ordering in bulk from local distributors. 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. All of these software packages and models are in widespread use by life cycle assessment practitioners in the US and internationally. Contamination problems with reuse of laryngeal mask airways and laryngoscopes. One of the materials used is polypropylene, a thermoplastic addition polymer made from the combination of propylene monomers (Creative Mechanisms Staff, creativemechanisms.com). Int J Life Cycle Assess 2001;6:7680, 13. Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2000 rev, 25. 769 0 obj <>stream Product Ecology (PR) Consultants. BIC reported that every year around 2.6 billion of their razors are chosen by consumers every year (Shaver's). The LMA was then dried with a cotton towel. How Is Tungsten Carbide Formed? Chronicle, 20 Aug. 2015, chronicle.kennametal.com/how-is-tungsten-carbide-formed/. Anesth Analg 1998;87:921, 3. Disposable razors are a product that can be found in almost any average bathroom. 761 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[]/Index[748 22]/Info 747 0 R/Length 72/Prev 421064/Root 749 0 R/Size 770/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream The alloy must allow for easy manufacturing due to the high demand of disposable razors and enough strength to last through transportation and shelf holding. The following document provides an introductory overview of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and describes the general uses and major components of LCA. An exact number for the energy use for BIC was not obtained. Several waste management scenarios were also considered, including 100% landfilling and 100% incineration, because practices are highly location dependent. A complete life cycle cost analysis would complement the life cycle assessment results shown here; however, a simple analysis reveals that, assuming full utilization, a $200 reusable LMA costs $5 per use, plus $3 per cleaning for a unit cost of $8, excluding utility and hospital overhead costs. The tables didnt contain values for welding steel, so it has been assumed that the value is close to welding aluminium which is in the table. LCA's are completed particularly in relation to how to develop a sustainable world where less waste and more reuse is implemented. In this case its much harder for me to carry out an LCA on a Gillette razor than if Gillette did the LCA themselves, as they would have all the correct info required first-hand (reducing the number of assumptions needing to be used). American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Task Force on Infection Control. Waste is not only a problem when a product is disposed of, but also when it is initially manufactured. Policy H-135.945: Encouraging Alternatives to PVC/DEHP Products in Health. It can also help them to compare the newly redesigned product to the original, acting as a benchmark to ensure the design changes are actually positive for the environment. 3. One of their most popular products is the disposable razor, which they started to manufacture in 1975. There are three main materials used in the plastic handle and the cartridge of the disposable razor. 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). Facilities that select reusable devices should implement inventory and operating procedures that ensure that devices are reused to the greatest possible extent. In their study of Life cycle assessment of wastewater treatment technologies treating petroleum process waters, Vlaopolous et al. Each year in Italy, millions of tons of fruits and vegetables are harvested, packed and transported to national and foreign retail outlets. 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. 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). This is where most of the complexity of an LCA is involved. More immediate levels of waste, however, happen during the processing of disposable razors before they are even brought to the buyer and the landfill. What does a business area's assessment of agreements, income, and value implicate? Another advantage is that the process produces a single score (Eco-Indicator Point) for the all the impacts of the product, not just individual ones for each part. There are land, air, and water-based transportation methods. I could however not find any details about the energy consumption of the machines used in the assembly process. The high waste from manufacturing and shipping such a small, and cheap product is one that is negatively impacting the planet. However, the LCA is not an exact science and has its limitations: Research and Innovative Technology Administration. Kaplan, Desire. Sinha R, Sunder R. Retiring reusable laryngeal mask airways after 40: an anaesthetist's dilemma. The LMA, within the heat seal pouch, was then placed in the steam autoclave sterilizing machine (Castle/Getinge MC 3522). Hedrick, Art. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This is based on our Life Cycle Inventory flows from phase 2. On the other hand, extending the number of uses to 80 (doubling the lifetime) reduces GHG emissions by 9%. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. In this post I havent shown the whole process, but there are downloadable links to my full Eco-Indicator results, and to the template form if youd like to carry out an assessment yourself. The newest effort to recycle disposable razors is being done in France by BIC, but the company has said that they do not plan on unveiling a recycling program anywhere else yet (Powers). All of these equipment-related cases occurred before the routine implementation of sterilization procedures currently used in health care facilities. This manuscript was handled by: Steven L. Shafer, MD. Using BEES to select cost-effective green products. This is done on an assembly line by the robotic arm the inserts the razor blade into the small crevices in the plastic body. Kelly, John. 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. International Sympsium on Sustainable Systems and Technology. The EPA has said in their 2014 report: Currently, little information is available about the fate and transport of tungsten in the environment and its effects on human health. Nash, Nathaniel C. HOW BIC LOST THE EDGE TO GILLETTE. The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 Apr. Its aim is a comprehensive analysis of the environmental impact of products and services. Chu L, Mathur P, Trudell J, Brock-Utne J. From the *Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA; School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT; Department of Anesthesiology, Yale School of Medicine/YaleNew Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT. Funding: Department of Anesthesiology, Yale School of Medicine. A Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable Razors. Polyphenylene Oxides.Polyphenylene Oxides - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics, 2013, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemical-engineering/polyphenylene-oxides. Goal, scope and background The industrial packages sector has great importance for the transport sector in Europe. During shaving, the sharp edges of the blade will chip off at a slow but steady rate, dulling the blade after repeated shavings. f'C58NQ}i:]1 $Nh@b8H|iWILGgj{J27]Xp0N@h+ !` >q 15 - 21 Our group recently performed a life cycle assessment of anesthetic drug trays, finding that reusable trays were both environmentally and . We performed a life cycle assessment of 2 analogous LMAs, the disposable LMA Unique and the reusable LMA Classic, according to internationally accepted standard life cycle assessment methods (ISO 14040: 2006). The LMAs were first rinsed in tap water, scrubbed externally with a Hibiclens sponge and internally with a small scrub brush, and rinsed again. Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable and Reusable Nappies in the UK Ref: ISBN 1844324273, LIT 2080 PDF, 1.83 MB, 203 pages This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.. It can be used to study the environmental impact of either a product or the function the product is designed to perform. 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. The purpose of this assessment is to compare two different types of razors: cartridge based vs. double edge safety razor. Ecoinvent 2.2. use/disposable and multiple-use/washable surgical gowns. BIC Comfort 3 Refillable Three-Blade Disposable Razors for Men, Sensitive Skin Razor for a Comfortable Shave, 1 Handle and 12 Cartridges With 3 Blades, 13 Piece Razor Kit. 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 (ii)Access paramount's competitive position? Finally, the need for manual labor in the cleaning process of reusable LMAs contributed to the costs of these LMAs. These results will then be used to inform the design process and improve the redesigned razor. A combination of transportation methods is used depending on where the product needs to go. The materials used in the production of disposable razors are limited due to the products simplicity however, many of the materials are unsustainable in that they are not biodegradable or easily recyclable, and require heavy energy input to manufacture. Comparison of disposable and reusable laryngeal mask airways in spontaneously ventilating adult patients. When the devices entered use at Yale New Haven Hospital, both the disposable and the reusable LMAs were removed from their original packaging, which was discarded. The Eco-Indicator for EPDM rubber includes the manufacturing of the rubber as well as the molding process. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a modeling tool for quantifying the environmental impacts of products and processes. 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). Next, the razors will be tested for flaws, strength, and razor hardness and sharpness (Safety Razor, madehow.com). Marvel Product Razor Lady Body Shaver Disposable Razore. A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable and Reusable Packaging for the Distribution of Italian Fruit and Vegetables. Though technicians are paid regardless of whether they are cleaning LMAs or are performing some other task, these wages are nonetheless assigned to the reusable LMA on the basis of time spent. Composition Assumptions for Disposable and Reusable Largyngeal Mask Airways (LMAs). The hardest part of this whole process is the data gathering. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) Hazard Summary. There are many detailed stages but the main ones are: extracting and. It is cheap and highly versatile, and can either be hard plastic material, or a soft foam material, making it one of the most common plastic materials manufactured and used (What Is Polystyrene? Comparison of the single use and reusable intubating laryngeal mask airway. 2019, science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/polystyrene-recycling.htm. 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. GaBi includes its own database containing life cycle inventories of processes such as polypropylene manufacturing, transportation, and landfill . Address e-mail to [emailprotected]. 2. From mining and extracting the natural tungsten metal, to making the metal alloy and manufacturing just the blade, waste is released. Once Terracycle has collected the waste, it is: broken down and separated by material. There could be hundreds of different sources for their materials. Pollution of the oceans from plastics has become an increasingly large issue that researchers are still assessing. However, because of the new awareness to their wasteful impact on the environment, some companies have begun to provide solutions to the disposable razor issue. To begin the process of creating the metal, the tungsten is purified and ground into a fine powder. A life-cycle assessment or LCA is a 'cradle to grave' analysis of the impact of a manufactured product on the environment. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. h[K#1}\$u@ Redesigning the Razor Life Cycle Assessment.The Great Recovery, www.greatrecovery.org.uk/resources/3682/. Conversely, impacts can be reduced by autoclaving more LMAs at once or with other equipment with similar decontamination requirements. Overview. Several clinical trials comparing function and ease of placement demonstrated no significant difference between disposable and reusable versions,25 allowing hospitals to base purchase decisions on economic considerations alone. 8 John Adam Street All that is needed is the insertion of the razor blade into the plastic body. The unit cost of disposable LMAs is 20% higher at approximately $9.60 per unit. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/cjd/qa_cjd_infection_control.htm. When you take your blades in to the scrap metal center, choose the steel recycling bin. The tungsten carbide is then ground into an extremely fine powder in a wet mill process, where metal binders and other metals such as cobalt may be added to increase the metals strength and durability and to help hold the powder together when it is shaped. Europe, Plastic News. Life Cycle Impact Assessment is the estimation of indicators of the environmental pressures in terms of e.g. WC2N 6EZ, Redesigning the razor Life Cycle Assessment. Case Studies. Case Studies : Reducing BIC's Rejection Rates | KEYENCE America, www.keyence.com/solutions/case-studies/bic.jsp. Wat LI, Brimacombe JR, Gee S. Laryngeal mask airway longevity and pilot-balloon failure. 85 percent of the energy came from electricity, 14 percent came from gas, and the rest came from fuel oil (For You For Everyone Registration Document). Convenience is a potential advantage for disposable LMAs, and facilities that use reusable LMAs must ensure that a variety of sizes are always available when needed. 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. From San Diego, both LMAs were assumed to be transported 4700 km by truck to New Haven, CT (70% of shipments in the US are made by truck).13. Overall, reusable LMAs were found to have fewer negative environmental effects in nearly all categories, typically contributing <50% of the impacts of disposable LMAs. Manufacturer specifications indicate 20 kWh of electricity use for a 5-minute cycle at 135C. Here, Great Recovery Intern Sebastian de Cabo Portugal discusses Life Cycle Assessments. 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. Life Cycle Approach to Plastic Pollution - Life Cycle Initiative Our news to your inbox Click to subscribe to LC Net info@lifecycleinitiative.org About Us Our Activities & Tools Reports & Training News & Events Get Involved Life Cycle Approach to Plastic Pollution Activities Life Cycle Assessment in High-Impact sectors Introduction Paper diapers are roughly divided into two types: those for infants and those for adults. 748 0 obj <> endobj hb```X ea i:=3*?a_.k7#uq-u[JRP erle@@)`EkP;~ cdC58xiv06@Jup E J Clin Anesth 1997;9:432, 20. :396?Qkt)e. These are the reasons why I will carry out an Eco-Indicator Assessment instead of a full LCA. The blades and lubricating strip were too light to be measured with our equipment so their weights were rounded to 1g. The metal is then heated and then cooled slowly to remove any internal stress, which makes it tougher, this process is called annealing (Safety Razor). Our team of experts has many years of experience in the ecological evaluation of products and services. Once extracted, the tungsten is then shipped to a desired location for it to be manufactured into the metal compound. The company urges users to mail packages over 15 lbs., in order to reduce the waste of mail as well, yet is not necessary. E-LCA is a time tested assessment technique that evaluates environmental performance throughout the life cycle of a product or from performing a service. To aid in solving this issue, I believe consumers should stray away from wasteful disposable razors and be encouraged to go with more sustainable and longer lasting options such as classic safety razors. The life cycle impacts of the disposable and reusable LMA options are shown in Figure 2 for all impact categories, on the basis of data from Yale New Haven Hospital. BIC has done their best to deal with waste in an environmentally conscious manner. Anaesthesia 2000;55:7001, 18. PPO elements of the disposable razor are hard to determine in years, however, data shows that most plastic items take up to 1,000 years to begin to decompose (LeBlanc). By not using air travel and transport, BIC greatly reduces their energy usage and carbon footprint at the same time. Premature disposal of reusable LMAs has significant environmental impacts (as well as costs, discussed below). The cartridge-based razor had a slightly higher impact due to the rubber parts which cant be separated from the plastic body. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Disposable BIC razors are hollow and made using injection molding, but making the razors hollow is only possible because of the fluid nature of polystyrene (The Bic Razor, Still the Sharpest of the Bunch.). 1982, www.nytimes.com/1982/04/11/business/how-bic-lost-the-edge-to-gillette.html. Since BICs products do not go to a single location it is impossible to give an exact number for BICs energy usage in transportation. Saudi J Anaesth 2008;2:58. The actual making of the razors, and printing paper for their packaging has a lower environmental impact, than the waste from the factories high energy use. The product fails to include proper instructions for its waste management, causing it to be disposed of, as the name suggests. BIC currently holds around 11 percent market share in disposable razors (Nash). 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). 1. In this paper, many details about the life cycle stages were not included. BIC has noted however that they strive to be as efficient with materials used when it comes to their packaging. 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. Disposable razors are a product that can be found in almost any average bathroom. The reusable LMA was found to have a more favorable environmental profile than the disposable LMA as used at Yale New Haven Hospital. 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%. LMA North America. Once all the components of the razor have been made, the components go to various stations where different tasks will be performed. Health care facilities can decrease their environmental impacts by using reusable LMAs, to a lesser extent by selecting disposable LMA models that are not made of certain plastics, and by ordering in bulk from local distributors. Polystyrene is not biodegradable and takes hundreds of years to break down. 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 life cycle for disposable razors must first be assessed by the products design. An estimated 1 L of tap water was used to wash and rinse 1 LMA (or 40 L over a lifetime of 40 uses). 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. BIC has repeatedly come under fire because of the environmental impact their disposable razors have, due to the sheer amount of their disposable products are used every year. The product has several innovative elements, due to the implementation of eco-design principles, such as: (1) introduction of biopolymers (namely polylactic acid (PLA) and Mater-bi), (2) relevant . On the Venus Gillette company website, they provide the buyer with a guide for choosing which razor is best by asking: When it comes to choosing a razor, how do you know if a disposable or reusable razor is right for you? (What's the Difference Between Disposable and Reusable Razors for Women? Venus)This question, however, only affects the buyers short usage time, and does not provide any information as to the rest of the razors life-cycle after they are ready for a new razor blade and they: throw away the entire razor and grab a new one as recommended by the manufacturer (Venus).
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