life cycle assessment of disposable razors

BIC has noted however that they strive to be as efficient with materials used when it comes to their packaging. In their study of Life cycle assessment of wastewater treatment technologies treating petroleum process waters, Vlaopolous et al. Gillette Razor Local Recycling Solutions.TerraCycle, www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/gillette-local-recycling. 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. McGain F, McAlister S, McGavin A, Story D. The financial and environmental costs of reusable and single-use plastic anaesthetic drug trays. Disposable Blood Warmer Market 2023-2030 Future Forecasts Wolters Kluwer Health Questions and Answers: CreutzfeldtJakob Disease Infection-Control Practices. 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. Click the image for pricing & more info. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 2009;53:6878, 19. This was a cradle-to-grave study that included inputs and outputs for the manufacture, transport, use, and waste phases of the LMAs. Life Cycle Assessment and Costing Methods for Device - PubMed A Comparison Life Cycle Assessment between Razor Blade and Electric Shaver. Dec. 2012. In this section we also need to state the assumptions made during the process: In addition to traditional criteria for the selection and purchase of medical devices that include safety, efficacy, and cost, 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 product selection process. Sustainable Development at BIC . 6 Jan. 2011. A Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable Razors. endstream endobj 752 0 obj <>stream 0 8tZ How Does Polystyrene Recycling Work?HowStuffWorks Science, HowStuffWorks, 4 Apr. Anyone can send in razors of any kind, and the plastic and cardboard packaging as well. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) - Complete Beginner's Guide - Ecochain 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. Europe, Plastic News. Their disposable nature causes them to be put into landfills faster than it takes them to be made, packaged, and shipped. (iii)What are the strategic lifecycle challenges for paramount's current products as well as for clean edge? Waste is not only a problem when a product is disposed of, but also when it is initially manufactured. Disposable Razors in Bulk, Bulk Razors with Knife Caps, Individually Packaged Disposable Razors Bulk, Suitable for Hotels, Shelters, Homeless People, Nursing Homes, Charities, Churches (60) 4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars (9) $22.39 $ 22. 2 offers from $9.92. Facilities that select reusable devices should implement inventory and operating procedures that ensure that devices are reused to the greatest possible extent. 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. Kaplan, Desire. Dbendorf, Switzerland, 2011, 12. LMAs may be composed of 40% DEHP by weight. 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. Finally, the razors are packaged in cardboard and plastic, and shipped out to stores and markets globally for customers to purchase and use. The alternatives are objects made of bio compostable plastic,. What Is Polystyrene? It is used to assist companies, consumers, and policy-makers in greening their practices and decisions. 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. BIC has done their best to deal with waste in an environmentally conscious manner. GaBi includes its own database containing life cycle inventories of processes such as polypropylene manufacturing, transportation, and landfill . 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. Life Cycle Assessment - IPP - Environment - European Commission To start the process of making the blades, tungsten carbide is melted at high temperatures. Any extra plastic will be discarded, remelted, and reused (Safety Razor, madehow.com). There are many detailed stages but the main ones are: extracting and. Camera visual inspection is performed and This is all to ensure BICs quality standards are being met and ensure a quality product. 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 carbon alloy allows for the metal to be strong enough to be exposed to high levels of moisture without corroding, yet brittle enough to be made into thin blades for a multiple blade razor (Safety Razor). (ii)Access paramount's competitive position? 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. To begin the process of creating the metal, the tungsten is purified and ground into a fine powder. How Is Tungsten Carbide Formed? Chronicle, 20 Aug. 2015, chronicle.kennametal.com/how-is-tungsten-carbide-formed/. 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. Tungsten Carbide. Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Nov. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tungsten_carbide. The Great Recovery was a project by the RSA working with Innovate UK which ran between 2012 and 2016. The high waste from manufacturing and shipping such a small, and cheap product is one that is negatively impacting the planet. 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. hb```X ea i:=3*?a_.k7#uq-u[JRP erle@@)`EkP;~ cdC58xiv06@Jup E Terracycle is a company that was created to address the issue of recyclable products that often end up in landfills. Overall, while the materials for disposable razors are few, and the products basic design makes it appear simplistic, the products lifecycle is far from simple. 15 - 21 Our group recently performed a life cycle assessment of anesthetic drug trays, finding that reusable trays were both environmentally and . 2.Define the life-cycle 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. Amazon Best Sellers: Best Men's Disposable Shaving Razors Land transport like trains and trucks use diesel as fuel and that produced 138,700 BTU (Energy Consumption by Mode of Transportation.). 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%. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) explained - PR Sustainability 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. %PDF-1.5 % 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. 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. At 20 reuse cycles,16 the results indicate an increase in emissions of nearly 20%. Address correspondence to Jodi Sherman, MD, Yale University, School of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, 333 Cedar Street, TMP3, New Haven, CT 06520. Tungsten carbide is a carbide compound, made up of equal parts of tungsten and carbon. Manufacturers can do this solely by machine or by human eye/hand plus machine for extra quality assurance. `""(w Recommendations for Infection Control for the Practice of Anesthesiology. Recycling of Polypropylene (PP). AZoCleantech.com, 25 June 2012, www.azocleantech.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=240. 769 0 obj <>stream Properly Recycle Your Disposable Razors | Leafygreen.info The Nation's Freight: U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. B|$5 Manufacturing Processes (RAZOR): KAI FACTORY: KAI Group. KAI FACTORY | KAI Group, www.kai-group.com/global/en/kai-factory/process/razor/. The biggest impact during the cartridge-based razor life-cycle is manufacturing the cartridge as this is the part which is hardest to make. Once all the components of the razor have been made, the components go to various stations where different tasks will be performed. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/cjd/qa_cjd_infection_control.htm. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Sustainability Assessment - Fraunhofer Thomas, G.P. 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. Life cycle assessment - Environmental Assessment and Optimization Group Life Cycle Assessment: Disposable paper cups by Shanice Robbins This is where the razors are portioned into their desired packaging amounts, that will be sent off to consumers. Ans: (i) Significant growth in industry of super premium segment . 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. In the late 1990s, disposable LMAs became available. This study assumed no difference between the devices in terms of clinical efficacy or time for placement.4 Disposable LMAs were discarded in regular municipal solid waste bins after use. This break-even point will change depending on the category of environmental impact being considered. PDF An updated lifecycle assessment study for disposable and reusable nappies Anesth Analg 1998;87:921, 3. The second component of the razor is the plastic body which is made of a fairly inexpensive plastic called polystyrene. The plastic, however stable for the user, remains stable long after it is thrown away as well. 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. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Life-cycle assessment - Ways of reducing the use of resources - AQA Complete with an ergonomic shaped non-slip rubber handle for great control and maneuverability and easy rinse blades for 100% better rinsing (vs . Sinha R, Sunder R. Retiring reusable laryngeal mask airways after 40: an anaesthetist's dilemma. 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. Shabecoff, Philip. Sensitivity and simple life cycle cost analyses were conducted to aid in interpretation of the results. Life of a Razor Blade - GreatRazors.com Life Cycle Assessment - definition & methodology. LMA Classic Product Specifications, 2011, 10. 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. 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. 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. Flying staff to meetings, shipping, and distributing the product is the highest offender for the planet. For You for Everyone Registration Document. Sherman JD, Ryan S. Ecological responsibility in anesthesia practice. Environmental LCA - Life Cycle Initiative 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. Marine cargo ships use a fuel called heavy fuel oil which produces around 145,000 BTU per gallon (Energy Consumption by Mode of Transportation.). A Life Cycle Assessment is the systematic analysis of the environmental impact of products during their entire life cycle. This is based on our Life Cycle Inventory flows from phase 2. Each year in Italy, millions of tons of fruits and vegetables are harvested, packed and transported to national and foreign retail outlets. 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? The product fails to include proper instructions for its waste management, causing it to be disposed of, as the name suggests. A SYSTEMATIC METHODOLOGY FOR ACCURATE DESIGN-STAGE ESTIMATION OF ENERGY CONSUMPTION FOR INJECTION MOLDED PARTS. CASE STUDY ANALYSIS - CLEAN EDGE, NON DISPOSABLE RAZOR Q1. The differences in environmental impacts between these devices strongly favor reusable devices. This liquid material is then injected into moulds, or extruded through moulds, where it will cool and take the form of the desired cartridge and handle shape. :396?Qkt)e. With the results we supply the basis for strategic decisions for sustainable action. 5.Interpret and analyse the results. Ask a worker if you can put them in the bin by themselves or if they need to be in a recyclable container to protect sanitation workers from being cut. Here's How to Keep Your Razors from Contributing to Landfill Waste. USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 7 Aug. 2019, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/08/07/landfill-waste-how-prevent-disposable-razor-plastic-pollution/1943345001/. In this process, the metal is heated to temperatures of 1,967-2,048F (1,075-1,120C), then quenched in water to a temperature between -76- -112 F (-60- -80 C) to harden it. SimaPro is our flagship product: life cycle assessment software that gives sustainability experts, product designers and decision-makers the power to gain insight into the environmental performance of products and services, to define hotspots and to drive positive change. 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. LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT: PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE | Science Inventory - US EPA An LCA is an accounting of the inputs and outputs for a product system, beginning with extraction of raw materials from the earth and continuing through all of the steps of transportation, manufacturing, product fabrication, product use, and end-of-life, which may include reuse, recycling . What Is Tungsten Carbide or Hard Metal? AZoM.com, 2 Aug. 2009, https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=4827. The LMAs were first rinsed in tap water, scrubbed externally with a Hibiclens sponge and internally with a small scrub brush, and rinsed again. Steel Life Cycle.SSAB, www.ssab.com/company/sustainability/sustainable-offering/steel-life-cycle?di=discover21C927E58ECC41198B78D915F7E3E2AF. 0 Its aim is a comprehensive analysis of the environmental impact of products and services. 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). Reusable LMA cleaning was observed to proceed as follows. This manuscript was handled by: Steven L. Shafer, MD. Everything You Need To Know About Polystyrene (PS).Everything You Need To Know About Polystyrene (PS), www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/polystyrene-ps-plastic. Pollution of the oceans from plastics has become an increasingly large issue that researchers are still assessing. 3. This is shown through their commitment to their eco-design process and new recycling programs that are undergoing testing. PurposeIn this study, a life cycle assessment of a bioplastic based diaper was performed. EPA. 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. On the basis of such criteria, single-use disposable medical devices are increasingly supplanting reusable devices in the United States (US) and elsewhere.1 Although purchase and maintenance costs for disposable devices are perceived to be less than for reusables, this fails to account for indirect costs to society from the environmental impacts attributable to the entire life cycle of a device. 6,474. Sustainable Development Report. Several waste management scenarios were also considered, including 100% landfilling and 100% incineration, because practices are highly location dependent. The LMA, within the heat seal pouch, was then placed in the steam autoclave sterilizing machine (Castle/Getinge MC 3522). Once extracted, the tungsten is then shipped to a desired location for it to be manufactured into the metal compound. 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. One of the materials used is polypropylene, a thermoplastic addition polymer made from the combination of propylene monomers (Creative Mechanisms Staff, creativemechanisms.com). The LMA was then dried with a cotton towel. Until now, we defined what we want to measure and collect in phase 1. In my research, I was not able to find specifics about where BIC sources their materials, I believe that this is due to them being a global company. PDF A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Compostable and Reusable Takeout At every point during planning, production, and even marketing, the quantity of consumption should be analyzed to adjust business models accordingly. On the other hand, extending the number of uses to 80 (doubling the lifetime) reduces GHG emissions by 9%. Die Basics 101: Intro to Stamping. The Fabricators, 18 July 2018, www.thefabricator.com/thefabricator/article/stamping/die-basics-101-intro-to-stamping. Highly effective in driving partnerships, public policies and projects that accelerate the shift towards a sustainable built environment. : Uses, Benefits, and Safety Facts.ChemicalSafetyFacts.org, 17 June 2019, www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/polystyrene/. During production, two components have to be created which are the blade and the plastic body. Life cycle assessment of a disposable and a reusable surgery instrument There is uncertainty in several model assumptions. Please try again soon. Overall BIC is an industry leader when it comes to reducing the environmental impact that their disposable products make. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a framework for assessing the environmental impacts of product systems and decisions. However, we can discuss the energy usage of different modes of transportation. The most important sources of impacts for the disposable LMA were the production of polymers, packaging, and waste management, whereas for the reusable LMA, washing and sterilization dominated for most impact categories. Despite its ability to be recycled, it often ends up in the landfill as many people dont know how to properly recycle it, people are too lazy to recycle, or the plastics arent labeled properly (Polypropylene. Wikipedia). Siddle, Dave. h[K#1}\$u@ Washington, DC: U.S. Bureau of Transportation, 2002, 14. 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 results also suggest effective procurement strategies for reducing the impacts of disposable LMAs where they are selected. Life Cycle Assessment - GDRC 3 Ways to Recycle Safety Razor Blades - wikiHow Life Sustainability | Free Full-Text | Life Cycle Assessments of Takeaway 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. For example, LCA results can tell us if one product is environmentally preferable to another . It can be used to study the environmental impact of either a product or the function the product is designed to perform. Safety Razor. How Products Are Made, www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Safety-Razor.html. A life cycle assessment or analysis according to ISO 14040/14044 is an instrument of environmental and sustainability management. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Solid Waste Management Consultants Zhang TW, Dornfeld DA. 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. I could however not find any details about the energy consumption of the machines used in the assembly process. Using Life Cycle Assessments to Understand Cloth vs. Disposables - BAHP Marinella Levi. With such a fast accumulating waste and slow decomposition rate, there must be changes and incentive for companies to rethink the disposable razor. Life Cycle Assessment of a Building | Sphera 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. 8 John Adam Street The blade is made from a tungsten steel, and carbon alloy. This is where most of the complexity of an LCA is involved. Packaging is an . These impacts are quantified here in terms of energy use, water use, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions using general factors for US labor.22. 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). Product Ecology (PR) Consultants. 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). 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 largest difference in environmental impacts is seen in the impact category of carcinogenesis, in which reusable LMAs cause 5% of the impacts of disposable LMAs. 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 . Technical Fact Sheet-Tungsten.Technical Fact Sheet- Tungsten, EPA, Jan. 2014, www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-03/documents/ffrrofactsheet_contaminant_tungsten_january2014_final.pdf. These results will then be used to inform the design process and improve the redesigned razor. 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. These containers, mainly wooden pallets and spools, are subject to European legislat [PDF] Life Cycle Assessment: Reusable and disposable nappies in Life cycle assessment comparison among different reuse intensities for 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 Explained - STiCH Disposable Razors at Best Price in India - IndiaMART 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). Part of this responsible shipping mentality forces them to change their packaging to be able to ship more at a time. Anaesth Intensive Care 2004;32:5304, 4. 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. Life Cycle Assessment | EcoAct Gillette Sensor3 Sensitive Men's Disposable Razors : Target Its an extremely strong and durable metal compound, making it perfect for the use of razor blades (Siddle, How Is Tungsten Carbide Formed?; Tungsten Carbide. Wikipedia.org). The specific type or blend of plastic for BIC razors is used is called polystyrene (Europe). Teoh W, Lim Y. Each manufacturing plant or node in the supply chain is referred to as agate-to-gate (GTG) life cycle inventory. The following document provides an introductory overview of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and describes the general uses and major components of LCA. 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. There are three main materials used in the plastic handle and the cartridge of the disposable razor. This is done on an assembly line by the robotic arm the inserts the razor blade into the small crevices in the plastic body. Holes are then punched into the metal and the tapelike sheets of razors are then put in a roll (Manufacturing Processes).

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life cycle assessment of disposable razors

life cycle assessment of disposable razors