life cycle assessment of disposable razors

During production, two components have to be created which are the blade and the plastic body. Camera visual inspection is performed and This is all to ensure BICs quality standards are being met and ensure a quality product. Ecoinvent 2.2. Figueredo E. Changes in the intracuff pressure of the laryngeal masks airway caused by repeated use. Data Uncertainty. Redesigning the Razor Life Cycle Assessment. The Great Recovery, http://www.greatrecovery.org.uk/resources/3682/. Polyphenylene Oxides.Polyphenylene Oxides - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics, 2013, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemical-engineering/polyphenylene-oxides. Rogers, Tony. 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. Whereas transportation has a relatively significant GHG impact for the disposable LMAs, by comparison the transportation of reusable LMAs has little impact on GHG emissions, because 40 disposable LMAs must be shipped to provide an equivalent function to 1 reusable LMA. 1.Establish the purpose of the Eco-Indicator calculations This assessment is exceptionally useful as it shows the designer what areas are the most impactful during the products life cycle. 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. 1. Bic Disposable Razor (1975). Plastics News Europe, 19 Nov. 2009, www.plasticsnewseurope.com/article/20091119/PNE/311199986/bic-disposable-razor-1975. 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. Park Ridge, IL: American Society of Anesthesiologists, 1999, 15. 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. Lippiatt BC, Boyles AS. The study found that: Contribution: This author helped design the study, analyze the data, and prepare the manuscript. @article{Cordella2015EvolutionOD, title={Evolution of disposable baby diapers in Europe: life cycle assessment of environmental impacts and identification of key areas of improvement}, author={Mauro Cordella and Iris Bauer and Anja Lehmann and Matthias Schulz and Oliver Wolf}, journal={Journal of Cleaner Production}, year={2015}, volume={95 . Highly effective in driving partnerships, public policies and projects that accelerate the shift towards a sustainable built environment. The metal is not yet to its final form, as it is still greatly held together by the previously added binders. Upgrading to a new, energy-efficient autoclave machine leads to a nearly equal reduction in life cycle GHG emissions and may be considered particularly in instances in which older equipment is being used. Reusable LMAs in general appear to be made largely of silicone, lacking these same concerns for PVC/DEHP. h[K#1}\$u@ Waste is not only a problem when a product is disposed of, but also when it is initially manufactured. Comparative environmental and human health (HH) impacts for disposable and reusable laryngeal mask airways (LMA), Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) impact assessment method. 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 environmental effects of labor are often omitted from life cycle assessment studies, but are included here as part of the sensitivity analysis. Overall BIC is an industry leader when it comes to reducing the environmental impact that their disposable products make. 45. 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. DEHP is a plasticizer routinely added to impart flexibility to PVC-based products, such as IV bags, tubing, and endotracheal tubes. These steps are not necessarily conducted in succession, but iteratively. The second component of the razor is the plastic body which is made of a fairly inexpensive plastic called polystyrene. Main methodological choices . 0 8tZ The studies have not found it to be harmful to drinking water, or public safety, however, it is an ongoing research of soil data that continues. Holes are then punched into the metal and the tapelike sheets of razors are then put in a roll (Manufacturing Processes). RSA Chicago: American Medical Association, 2006, 27. Wages are then spent on food, entertainment, transport, and other economic activities that themselves have environmental impacts. Phoenix: IEEE, 2008, 23. Phenylene oxide, or PPO, is another common plastic material used in disposable razors. 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. LCA is a standardized, science-based tool for quantifying the impact in order to assess lifetime environmental impact. 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. There are land, air, and water-based transportation methods. Europe, Plastic News. Erosion time for the blades was difficult to find, yet tungsten steel does erode faster than the plastic elements to the disposable razor due to the carbon alloys brittle makeup. 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.). However, BIC did report some of its transportation statistics. The use of LCA to introduce life-cycle thinking into decision-making for the purchase of medical devices in the NHS. A Life Cycle Assessment is the systematic analysis of the environmental impact of products during their entire life cycle. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. The final value for the cartridge-based razor was 115.06 mPt, and the value for the double edge safety razor was 15.70 mPt. 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. 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). Define the Life-cycle This is an example of a simple product life-cycle diagram. The cheap price of the razor does not reflect the high cost of its waste and impact on the environment. Finally, the razors are packaged in cardboard and plastic, and shipped out to stores and markets globally for customers to purchase and use. 748 0 obj <> endobj There are three main components in a disposable razor. The autoclave was typically run with 5 LMAs, although loading varied significantly. After the products are packaged, there has to be a way for them to get to the end consumer. A Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable Razors. 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). They report their waste production being at 340 tons, which represented an increase of 22% from 2015 (Bic). The Great Recovery was a project by the RSA working with Innovate UK which ran between 2012 and 2016. This obviously makes the results less accurate, but it can still be used as a general indicator of impact. 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. Anaesthesia 2007;62:3814, 5. van Zundert AAJ, Fonck K, Al-Shaikh B, Mortier E. Comparison of the LMA-Classic with the new disposable soft seal laryngeal mask in spontaneously breathing adult patients. American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Task Force on Infection Control. 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. Because of its high stability, PPO is a very widely used plastic for many different household items. 4. Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for 2010. BIC Group, 2016, For You For Everyone Registration Document. BIC is voicing their concern about the environmental impact that their large production goals can have. It has been assumed that the only part recycled at the end of life is the packaging. 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). What Is Tungsten Carbide or Hard Metal? AZoM.com, 2 Aug. 2009, https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=4827. Nash, Nathaniel C. HOW BIC LOST THE EDGE TO GILLETTE. The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 Apr. Atlanta, 2012. 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). 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. The main causes of the reusable LMA's environmental impacts are the steam used in the autoclave sterilizing machine and, to a lesser extent, the wastewater generated from washing the LMAs. 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. With the results we supply the basis for strategic decisions for sustainable action. 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). Anaesth Intensive Care 2010;38:538, 9. This reflects the equivalence between 40 disposable LMAs and their associated materials, waste, and 40 uses of 1 reusable LMA. In order to carry out the Eco-Indicator analysis method, the methodology described below has to be followed: Cargo planes and other transport aircraft use jet fuel which produces 135,000 BTU per gallon (Energy Consumption by Mode of Transportation.). I could however not find any details about the energy consumption of the machines used in the assembly process. Where regulations permit, disposal of LMA-related waste as regular municipal waste, as opposed to biohazardous waste, should also reduce the adverse health effects stemming from medical waste incineration. There are three main materials used in the plastic handle and the cartridge of the disposable razor. 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. Here, Great Recovery Intern Sebastian de Cabo Portugal discusses Life Cycle Assessments. If all 2.6 billion of those razors each weight 8.8 grams, then the total amount of waste produced would be around 25,220 tonnes. These benefits must be weighed against concerns regarding transmission of infection. 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. According to studies done by the EPA, tungsten steel was originally tested as a stable metal in soil that does not dissolve easily in water (EPA). The blades and lubricating strip were too light to be measured with our equipment so their weights were rounded to 1g. LCA for product sustainability. 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. This is based on our Life Cycle Inventory flows from phase 2. This makes it an easy and quick method to start the analysis of a product and aid the designer when creating alternative concepts which are more environmentally friendly, because they can clearly identify what areas need improvement and which ones work well already. The purpose of this assessment is to compare two different types of razors: cartridge based vs. double edge safety razor. Poly(p-Phenylene Oxide). Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Sept. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poly(p-phenylene_oxide). Max Soft Disposable Razor For Women - 3 Pcs In A Pack. The life cycle of plastics Life cycle assessment (LCA) considers the environmental aspects associated with a product over its lifespan. 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. One of their most popular products is the disposable razor, which they started to manufacture in 1975. Thomas, G.P. 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 . Put the blades in the steel recycling section. Land transport like trains and trucks use diesel as fuel and that produced 138,700 BTU (Energy Consumption by Mode of Transportation.). This break-even point will change depending on the category of environmental impact being considered. 2019, science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/polystyrene-recycling.htm. 0 It has been assumed that the packaging contains cardboard, even though it has been made from other natural fibres like bamboo, as there is no info on those materials in the Eco-Indicator tables. It is resistant to fats and almost all organic solvents which helps it hold up in the damp and warm conditions of a bathroom and shower (Polypropylene. Wikipedia.org). In this paper, life cycle assessment (LCA) has been used as a tool to quantify the environmental impacts of disposable medical face masks. endstream endobj startxref Complete with an ergonomic shaped non-slip rubber handle for great control and maneuverability and easy rinse blades for 100% better rinsing (vs . Get new journal Tables of Contents sent right to your email inbox, http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/cjd/qa_cjd_infection_control.htm, Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable and Reusable Laryngeal Mask Airways, Articles in PubMed by Matthew Eckelman, PhD, Articles in Google Scholar by Matthew Eckelman, PhD, Other articles in this journal by Matthew Eckelman, PhD, May 2012 - Environment and Anesthesia Practice, A Comparison of Reusable and Disposable Perioperative Textiles: Sustainability State-of-the-Art 2012, Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Anesthetic Drugs, Environmental and Occupational Considerations of Anesthesia: A Narrative Review and Update, Global Warming Potential of Inhaled Anesthetics: Application to Clinical Use, A Survey of Anesthesiologists' Views of Operating Room Recycling, Privacy Policy (Updated December 15, 2022), International Anesthesia Research Society. The company urges users to mail packages over 15 lbs., in order to reduce the waste of mail as well, yet is not necessary. My next blog post will show some design recommendations using sketches and 3D-printed prototypes. However, it is fairly easy to find what the disposable razors components are made of, due to its simplicity. When you take your blades in to the scrap metal center, choose the steel recycling bin. Assessing all steps in that life cycle provides insight into individual stresses and burden shifts from one step to another and enables understanding of both the cumulative environmental impacts and related trade-offs in each area, throughout the lifespan of both a facility and its manufactured products. Everything You Need To Know About Polystyrene (PS).Everything You Need To Know About Polystyrene (PS), www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/polystyrene-ps-plastic. 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. Tungsten Carbide. Encyclopdia Britannica, Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc., 17 Dec. 2018, www.britannica.com/science/tungsten-carbide. Life cycle assessment software I used GaBi 6 software, produced by PE International. The 1% of the material that is recycled however, goes through a 5 step recycling process which is collecting, sorting, cleaning, reprocessing, and producing new products. They have teamed up with Gillette to raise awareness about the massive waste of disposable razors by allowing users to mail their old razors in to be recycled. The laryngeal mask airway (LMA) was introduced into clinical use in the late 1980s and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the US in 1991. For both environmental and cost considerations, management and operating procedures should be put in place to ensure that reusable LMAs are not discarded prematurely. After getting the sharpened blade they are coated with a thin film to allows them to not lose sharpness after only a few shaves (Manufacturing Processes). Previous studies have examined the relative environmental profiles of reusables and disposables with regard to medical textiles7 and anesthetic drug trays.8 The present study uses life cycle assessment to evaluate the life cycle impacts of disposable and reusable LMAs across several categories of environmental and human health impacts. We purchase the product in a store, use the product for removing unwanted body and facial hair until it eventually dulls, and then we toss it in the bathroom trash, unaware of where it goes or where it came from. This is where the razors are portioned into their desired packaging amounts, that will be sent off to consumers. Julabo Gmbh, et al. The life cycle assessment results shown here allow clinicians and health care administrators to understand the balance between direct benefits of a given LMA choice to local patient care and the environmental and human health impacts of that choice that occur far from the operating room. The steps in LCA are (1) goal and scope definition, (2) life cycle inventory analysis (LCI), (3) life cycle impact assessment (LCIA), and (4) interpretation of the results. Once in the landfill, it usually takes around 20-30 years to breakdown. 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.