life cycle assessment of disposable razors

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 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. Finally, the razors are packaged in cardboard and plastic, and shipped out to stores and markets globally for customers to purchase and use. Our team of experts has many years of experience in the ecological evaluation of products and services. Using BEES to select cost-effective green products. Life-cycle assessment stages All of these equipment-related cases occurred before the routine implementation of sterilization procedures currently used in health care facilities. Amersfoort, The Netherlands: Product Ecology (PR) Consultants, 2011, 11. Everything You Need To Know About Polypropylene (PP) Plastic. Everything You Need To Know About Polypropylene (PP) Plastic, https://www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/all-about-polypropylene-pp-plastic. The body of both razors had similar impact as their weights were also quite similar. 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). BIC currently holds around 11 percent market share in disposable razors (Nash). The metal used for the razor blades is called Tungsten Carbide which is used in wear applications, such as shaving (Safety Razor). On the basis of manufacturer information and density testing, the materials used in the 2 LMAs were identified and their compositions measured using a microgram scale (Table 1). Life cycle assessment software I used GaBi 6 software, produced by PE International. The plastic and steel elements of the razor can be recycled, yet, because they are so lightweight and small it makes it hard to separate in the trash and unable to be recycled normally. Shabecoff, Philip. There is also an additional resin called fluorine resin that is applied to the blades, which allows them to freely glide on the skin. Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is a process of evaluating the effects that a product has on the environment over the entire period of its life thereby increasing resource-use efficiency and decreasing liabilities. After the plastic body is manufactured it goes through inspections similar to ones the blades go through. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Solid Waste Management Consultants Chu L, Mathur P, Trudell J, Brock-Utne J. Teoh W, Lim Y. Life cycle assessment of a disposable and a reusable surgery instrument Once all the components of the razor have been made, the components go to various stations where different tasks will be performed. The biggest impact during the cartridge-based razor life-cycle is manufacturing the cartridge as this is the part which is hardest to make. Reusable LMAs were collected in a dirty device bin on the anesthesia cart and then reprocessed by the anesthesia technicians. Marinella Levi. It is used to assist companies, consumers, and policy-makers in greening their practices and decisions. Everything You Need To Know About Polystyrene (PS).Everything You Need To Know About Polystyrene (PS), www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/polystyrene-ps-plastic. Camera visual inspection is performed and This is all to ensure BICs quality standards are being met and ensure a quality product. What does a business area's assessment of agreements, income, and value implicate? Safety Razor. How Products Are Made, www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Safety-Razor.html. BIC reported that every year around 2.6 billion of their razors are chosen by consumers every year (Shaver's). Life Cycle Assessment of Reusable and Disposable Cleanroom Coveralls On the other hand, extending the number of uses to 80 (doubling the lifetime) reduces GHG emissions by 9%. Life Cycle Impact Assessment is the estimation of indicators of the environmental pressures in terms of e.g. 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). Anesth Analg 1993;77:1079, 21. If you count the actual razor cover (if you haven't lost it long ago) then it will be four pieces for recycling. What's the Difference Between Disposable and Reusable Razors for Women?Venus, www.gillettevenus.com/en-us/womens-shaving-guide/learning-to-shave/disposable-razors-vs-refillable-razors/. 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? 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. 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. In this paper, life cycle assessment (LCA) has been used as a tool to quantify the environmental impacts of disposable medical face masks. The blades and lubricating strip were too light to be measured with our equipment so their weights were rounded to 1g. Redesigning the Razor Life Cycle Assessment. The Great Recovery, http://www.greatrecovery.org.uk/resources/3682/. Life Cycle Approach to Plastic Pollution - Life Cycle Initiative 1.Establish the purpose of the Eco-Indicator calculations Phoenix: IEEE, 2008, 23. 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). PDF Life Cycle Assessments of Single- Versus Multiple-use Surgical Gowns Aj This means, of the 2 billion razors disposed of annually within the United States, each razor will be on the planet longer than the people who used them. Eshwar Shop. The Great Recovery was a project by the RSA working with Innovate UK which ran between 2012 and 2016. With such a fast accumulating waste and slow decomposition rate, there must be changes and incentive for companies to rethink the disposable razor. Our LCA team retains its reputation as the most experienced life cycle staff in North America. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) | Sustainable Agriculture Research Shavers. BICWorld, www.bicworld.com/en/our-products/shavers. A life cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool for analyzing the environmental impacts and resources used throughout a product's life, from raw materials extraction to production, and extending through product use and disposal. In the case of the disposable razor however, it is fairly simple due to its nature. 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 . Metal materials are sent for smelting and conversion to new alloys (Terracycle). McGain F, McAlister S, McGavin A, Story D. The financial and environmental costs of reusable and single-use plastic anaesthetic drug trays. PurposeIn this study, a life cycle assessment of a bioplastic based diaper was performed. Anaesthesia 2000;55:7001, 18. 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. There are many detailed stages but the main ones are: extracting and. 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. Evolution of disposable baby diapers in Europe: life cycle assessment The buyer online is not exposed to the long lasting waste of the razors after they are thrown out. The metal and plastic components of the cartridges will be assembled, where they will then go to the next station where the blades will be inserted. Properties: Tungsten Carbide-An Overview. AZoM.com, 25 Nov. 2019, www.azom.com/properties.aspx?ArticleID=1203. Ann Fr Anesth Reanim 2006;25:8114, 7. 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). An exact number for the energy use for BIC was not obtained. 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. Staff, RT. LCAs can be used comparatively to assess different product or service design options or to identify environmental . xTkJ((5:Ome\%{yIlka;K=1 LCA's are completed particularly in relation to how to develop a sustainable world where less waste and more reuse is implemented. LCA is the most common tool for quantifying the environmental effects associated with a product, process, or service's entire life (Baumann and Tillman 2004).LCA was performed in accordance with the international standards of the ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 . 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. 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. There are three main components in a disposable razor. Some error has occurred while processing your request. 0 Packaging is an . Anaesth Intensive Care 2010;38:538, 9. To begin the process of creating the razor blades, tungsten carbide, which is the metal that the blades and other optional components are made of, must first be manufactured. Each year in Italy, millions of tons of fruits and vegetables are harvested, packed and transported to national and foreign retail outlets. Manufacturer specifications indicate 20 kWh of electricity use for a 5-minute cycle at 135C. From:. Innovative and strategic advisor to leading philanthropies, corporates, governments, international institutions and NGOs. . 2.Define the life-cycle . 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. 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. 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. Criteria air pollutants arise for the disposable LMA primarily from the production of ethylene (a polymer precursor) and the combustion of natural gas throughout the system, and for the reusable LMA from the combustion of fossil fuels to produce steam and electricity. 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. Steel Life Cycle.SSAB, www.ssab.com/company/sustainability/sustainable-offering/steel-life-cycle?di=discover21C927E58ECC41198B78D915F7E3E2AF. 3.Quantify the materials and processes The unit cost of disposable LMAs is 20% higher at approximately $9.60 per unit. In order to carry out the Eco-Indicator analysis method, the methodology described below has to be followed: Washington, DC: U.S. Bureau of Transportation, 2002, 14. 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. During the research, I could not find how much energy BIC injection molding machines use, but I did find the energy usage of a common injection molding machine called the Babyplast. Encyclopaedia Brittanica, Encyclopaedia Brittanica, Inc., 26 Sept. 2012, www.britannica.com/technology/tungsten-processing#ref82029. James Drinkwater - Head of Built Environment - LinkedIn Gathering all the data for the LCA is the most difficult part of the task, and normally assumptions have to be made where its impossible to gather all the knowledge required, thus not all the relevant impacts are considered. 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). Alternate assumptions were used to test model sensitivity and to create bounds to aid interpretation of the results (Table 2). Life cycle assessment, according to ISO 14040/44, is conducted in four steps [29,30,31]: (1) goal and scope definition, (2) life cycle inventory, (3) life cycle impact assessment, and (4) interpretation. Policy H-135.945: Encouraging Alternatives to PVC/DEHP Products in Health. 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. Siddle, Dave. 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. Hedrick, Art. Gillette Plastic Disposable Shaving Kit supermax, for Hotel. Polypropylene. Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Nov. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polypropylene. BIC Group, 2016, Sustainable Development Report. There are so many variables that you have to take into account when calculating how much of an impact a product is having on the environment and our resources. These results suggest that the reusable LMA Classic has fewer life cycle impacts in comparison with the disposable LMA Unique at Yale New Haven Hospital, across several categories of concern. Comparative life cycle assessment of disposable and reusable - PubMed On the basis of information provided by the distributing company, the disposable LMA was manufactured in Hangzhou, China, and the reusable LMA was manufactured in Singapore. Redesigning the razor - Life Cycle Assessment - Great Recovery Polystyrene. Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Dec. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polystyrene. (PDF) Comparative life cycle analysis of disposable and reusable This is only the operational energy consumption, but you still have to take into account all the energy used in the design and installation of the machinery. f'C58NQ}i:]1 $Nh@b8H|iWILGgj{J27]Xp0N@h+ !` >q We can see how the double edge safety razor has a much lower impact due to the low amount of parts and materials used and the fact that the blade can be separated from the rest of the body and recycled (reducing the overall impact of the product). Die Basics 101: Intro to Stamping. The Fabricators, 18 July 2018, www.thefabricator.com/thefabricator/article/stamping/die-basics-101-intro-to-stamping. Properly Recycle Your Disposable Razors | Leafygreen.info LMAs may be composed of 40% DEHP by weight. 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. 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 This means that it takes around 1 BTU to heat a 0.035-ounce razor blade to the desired temperature (Julabo et.al). Manufacturers can do this solely by machine or by human eye/hand plus machine for extra quality assurance. Please try again soon. The alternatives are objects made of bio compostable plastic,. It is a thermoplastic that exhibits high heat resistance, dimensional stability, and accuracy and is often combined with other plastics, such as polystyrene, due to various problems in its processing (Poly(p-Phenylene Oxide, Wikipedia.org). A 2005 analysis published by U.K. It has been assumed that the only part recycled at the end of life is the packaging. Despite the overall lower impacts of the reusable LMA, there are still several ways that its environmental profile could be improved, as suggested by the results shown in Table 2. How One Company Keeps Used Razors Out Of Oceans.Green Matters, Green Matters, 25 Sept. 2017, www.greenmatters.com/news/2017/09/25/Z1oInGt/razors-ocean. Reusable LMAs in general appear to be made largely of silicone, lacking these same concerns for PVC/DEHP. Disposable Blood Warmer Market 2023-2030 Future Forecasts Sustainability | Free Full-Text | Reducing the Environmental Impact of Contribution: This author helped design the study, analyze the data, and prepare the manuscript. EPA. Contamination problems with reuse of laryngeal mask airways and laryngoscopes. Reprints will not be available from the authors. 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. 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. Most tungsten, about 85%, is extracted from various ores in China (Siddle, How Is Tungsten Carbide Formed?). I could however not find any details about the energy consumption of the machines used in the assembly process. The EPA has now stopped tracking the: impact of disposable razors on the environment and has no update on the figure (Olsen). Manufacturing Processes (RAZOR): KAI FACTORY: KAI Group. KAI FACTORY | KAI Group, www.kai-group.com/global/en/kai-factory/process/razor/. The sheets are then cut out using a process called die stamping, using a tool called a die stamp which is a special, one-of-a-kind precision tool that cuts and forms sheet metal into a desired shape or profile, where the blades are die stamped at a rate of 800-1,200 strokes a minute into the desired shape and size (Hedrick, Die Basics 101: Intro to Stamping.). #4. CASE STUDY ANALYSIS - CLEAN EDGE, NON DISPOSABLE RAZOR Q1. How Does Polystyrene Recycling Work?HowStuffWorks Science, HowStuffWorks, 4 Apr. BIC says its product beats out other models by 59 percent. Gillette Mach3 Men's Disposable Razor for Sensitive Skin - Best Cartridge Razor for Sensitive Skin. 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. 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). 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. Tungsten has a high melting point and is used mainly for strong tools unless used for smaller applications when combined with a carbon alloy: Its alloys are employed in rocket-engine nozzles and other aerospace applications (Safety Razors). 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). DEHP leaches out upon exposure to heat and lipids, as would be the case in contact with mucous membranes. Individually autoclaving the reusable LMA (because of stock shortages, for example) increased life cycle GHG emissions by >400%, whereas loading with 10 LMAs per cycle decreased emissions by nearly 25%. BIC is a French manufacturing company that produces a variety of disposable consumer products like pens, lighters and disposable razors. Highlights 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. However, of the 2 billion razors disposed of annually, about 32% end up in the ocean (Kaplan). Disposable LMAs are made largely from PVC plastic, which is associated with a number of health concerns that are gaining increased attention.23 Historic efforts to minimize routine medical incineration resulted in the 1998 Memorandum of Understanding between the American Hospital Association and the US Environmental Protection Agency, largely on the basis of recognition of the potential carcinogenic effects of burning PVC plastics. 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. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a method used to estimate the total environmental impacts from producing a good or service. 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. Anaesth Intensive Care 2004;32:5304, 4. 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. This points to the need for effective inventory control, which is also critical for the reusable devices because there needs to be a sufficient number clean and on hand while another batch is undergoing cleaning, sterilization, and cooling. The next step in the process is the assembly of all the parts.

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