life cycle assessment of disposable razorslife cycle assessment of disposable razors
Lippiatt BC, Boyles AS. The final product is then gathered and prepared to go through the final step which is the packaging of razors. In this case it was very difficult to see what materials the product contained and exactly how it was manufactured (as the big manufacturing companies wouldnt disclose this information), so some of the data had to be assumed. Due to the nature of the disposable razor, they are usually just thrown in the trash and sent off to a landfill. 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. (i)What changes occurring in non-disposable Razor category? Life-cycle assessment stages 45. Sensitivity and simple life cycle cost analyses were conducted to aid in interpretation of the results. a 4.1% (Bic). 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). The polypropylene is sorted during recycling using a float test that separates it from other materials based on its ability to float due to its weight, then it is often melted down and reused in other product manufacturing. American Medical Association (AMA). Amersfoort, The Netherlands: Product Ecology (PR) Consultants, 2011, 11. How Is Tungsten Carbide Formed? Chronicle, 20 Aug. 2015, chronicle.kennametal.com/how-is-tungsten-carbide-formed/. Soulias M, Martin L, Garnier N, Juniot A, Aho L, Freysz M. Disposable vs reusable laryngeal mask airway: a cost-minimization analysis. What Is Polystyrene? Yet, as they are designed to be thrown away after use, a question is raised of their fast accumulating waste and its impact on the environment. 11,772. The life of a typical razor blade is not an easy one. The life cycle assessment software package SimaPro 7.3.2 was used to conduct our analysis.10 The majority of inventory data were drawn from the ecoinvent v2.2 life cycle inventory database.11 Impacts were assessed using the Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability v4.02 impact assessment method,12 which encompasses both environmental concerns (such as climate change, acid rain and smog formation, water use, and ozone depletion) and human-health-related impacts (such as cancer and noncancer ailments and emission of criteria air pollutants). For You For Everyone: Registration Document.Bic World, Bic, 2016, www.bicworld.com/sites/default/files/2017-03/BIC_DRF2016_EN.pdf. 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. 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. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a widely-used technique to comprehensively assess the impacts of a product or a process on the environment and acts as an effective tool in gauging the. Saudi J Anaesth 2008;2:58. 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.. Not all form of impacts are valued the same, so the ones with the largest impact should be tackled first in order to produce the maximum overall improvement. However, we can discuss the energy usage of different modes of transportation. The EPA has now stopped tracking the: impact of disposable razors on the environment and has no update on the figure (Olsen). 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. : Uses, Benefits, and Safety Facts, ChemicalSafetyFacts.org,). 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). One of the materials used is polypropylene, a thermoplastic addition polymer made from the combination of propylene monomers (Creative Mechanisms Staff, creativemechanisms.com). Tungsten Carbide. Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Nov. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tungsten_carbide. BIC has done their best to deal with waste in an environmentally conscious manner. Properties: Tungsten Carbide-An Overview. AZoM.com, 25 Nov. 2019, www.azom.com/properties.aspx?ArticleID=1203. The autoclave was typically run with 5 LMAs, although loading varied significantly. The natural half life of a large stock of reusable laryngeal mask airways at a teaching hospital. BIC has noted however that they strive to be as efficient with materials used when it comes to their packaging. 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. At an average of 10 reuse cycles, GHG impacts increase by >50%, and this is the break-even point at which the GHG emissions from reusable and disposable LMAs are essentially equal. 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). 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. Figure: Life Cycle Assessment steps: goal and scope definition, life cycle inventory, life cycle impact assessment and interpretation (Sala et al., 2016) In the goal and scope phase, the aims of the study are defined, namely the intended application, the reasons for carrying out the study and the intended audience. It is used to assist companies, consumers, and policy-makers in greening their practices and decisions. Research about tungsten is ongoing and includes health effects and risks, degradation processes and an inventory of its use in the defense industry as a substitute for lead-based munitions (EPA). Iatrogenic transmission of the CreutzfeldtJakob disease agent has been reported in >250 patients worldwide, and 6 of these were linked to the use of contaminated equipment, all of which were neurosurgical related. hbbd``b`z$k@D Safety Razor. How Products Are Made, www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Safety-Razor.html. 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? There are land, air, and water-based transportation methods. When designing a product for circularity it is often difficult to know where to begin. The Eco-Indicator for EPDM rubber includes the manufacturing of the rubber as well as the molding process. B|$5 Phenylene oxide, or PPO, is another common plastic material used in disposable razors. 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 life cycle of plastics Life cycle assessment (LCA) considers the environmental aspects associated with a product over its lifespan. 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. Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for 2010. Polystyrene is not biodegradable and takes hundreds of years to break down. 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. Life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) covers all relevant inputs from the environment (e.g., ores and crude oil, water, land use) as well as emissions into air, water and soil (e.g., carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides). Main methodological choices . Ans: (i) Significant growth in industry of super premium segment . 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. 1. Can J Anaesth 2001;48:40912, 22. There is uncertainty in several model assumptions. The alloy is strong enough to resist moisture for a short time in the buyers shower, yet, in the landfill, it does eventually rust and decompose. An updated lifecycle assessment for disposable and reusable nappies Report that looks at the effect of disposable and reusable nappies on global warming and other environmental impacts. Please try again soon. No such cases have been reported since 1976.a There is no reported case of iatrogenic infection of any type linked to a reusable LMA. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/cjd/qa_cjd_infection_control.htm. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 2009;53:6878, 19. It is also often not accepted in curbside recycling, and even when it is, it is not separated and recycled when it reaches the dumping station, making it an unsustainable and wasteful material (Polystyrene. Wikipedia.org). Kaplan, Desire. Choosing a less-green disposable will magnify your razor's manufacturing impact, but it won't change the overall picture very much. These few simple materials go through processes of heating, cooling, moulding, cutting, and sharpening throughout their manufacturing process to eventually become the handle, razor blades, and blade cartridge, that will then be assembled to become a disposable razor. The metal that can be used in the cartridge is also cut out during this stage. After the products are packaged, there has to be a way for them to get to the end consumer. 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. 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). Each year in Italy, millions of tons of fruits and vegetables are harvested, packed and transported to national and foreign retail outlets. LMA North America. With the recommended use of three to ten uses for disposable razors, they quickly end up in the landfill to decompose. Anaesthesia 2000;55:7001, 18. Our LCA team retains its reputation as the most experienced life cycle staff in North America. 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. A life cycle assessment (LCA) is used to identify the environmental risks of existing and planned products, services and manufacturing processes as well as identify strategic improvement opportunities. 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. Their disposable nature causes them to be put into landfills faster than it takes them to be made, packaged, and shipped. 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. 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 buyer online is not exposed to the long lasting waste of the razors after they are thrown out. 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. 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. LCAs can be used comparatively to assess different product or service design options or to identify environmental . :396?Qkt)e. 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 data collected through LCA helps organizations make conscious decisions that affect the environment. 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. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a methodology to assess the environmental impacts of a product or service throughout its life - from raw material extraction, manufacture and use, to end-of-life disposal, recycling or reuse. Here, Great Recovery Intern Sebastian de Cabo Portugal discusses Life Cycle Assessments. Eckelman, Matthew PhD*; Mosher, Margo; Gonzalez, Andres; Sherman, Jodi MD. Applying this method of assessment is complex and difficult and translating the theory into a . 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. What Is Tungsten Carbide?" The authors declare no conflict of interest. In the late 1990s, disposable LMAs became available. Brimacombe J, Keller C, Morris R, Mecklem D. A comparison of the disposable versus the reusable laryngeal mask airway in paralyzed adult patients. In addition, the impact categories of eutrophication (growth of microorganisms due to excess nutrients) and terrestrial ecotoxicity reflect the impacts on other species and ecosystems and have implications for public health. 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. At every point during planning, production, and even marketing, the quantity of consumption should be analyzed to adjust business models accordingly. Sustainable Development at BIC . 6 Jan. 2011. You Asked, We Answered. Chronicle, 12 June 2015, chronicle.kennametal.com/what-is-tungsten-carbide-you-asked-we-answered/. The cheap price of the razor does not reflect the high cost of its waste and impact on the environment. For more information, please refer to our Privacy Policy. In life cycle assessment, the basis of comparison is called the functional unit. For this report, the functional unit of the disposable and reusable LMAs was taken to be maintenance of airway patency by 40 disposable LMAs or 40 uses of 1 reusable LMA.9 Data collection was specific to Yale New Haven Hospital, including device transportation, cleaning procedures and labor, energy requirements, and disposal. 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. Additionally, the PVC-dominated material composition of the disposable LMA and associated packaging added significantly to its impacts. Two Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) methodologies were employed using SimaPro software 51,52 to calculate the environmental impacts of manufacturing both the plastic and compostable coffee . 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 extraction and consumption of resources (including energy), as well as releases to air, water, and soil, are quantified throughout all stages. What does a business area's assessment of agreements, income, and value implicate? The cartridge-based razor had a slightly higher impact due to the rubber parts which cant be separated from the plastic body. It takes a lifetime perspective LCA takes into consideration all the steps that lead from raw material through manufacture, distribution and usage to final disposal. use/disposable and multiple-use/washable surgical gowns. LMA Classic Product Specifications, 2011, 10. 2019, science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/polystyrene-recycling.htm. To create the metal compound, carbon is added to the purified tungsten in a complex chemical process where the materials are heated to over 2,200 degrees celsius. 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 Despite this, a general perception is that reusable LMAs possess a safety profile inferior to that of disposable LMAs, thus contributing to the proliferation of the latter. Disposable razors are a product that can be found in almost any average bathroom. GaBi includes its own database containing life cycle inventories of processes such as polypropylene manufacturing, transportation, and landfill . Recycling of Polypropylene (PP). AZoCleantech.com, 25 June 2012, www.azocleantech.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=240. The product fails to include proper instructions for its waste management, causing it to be disposed of, as the name suggests. So, while this solution is not an easy fix, as it would require buyers to save their own waste, it does provide an alternative to the disposable razor waste crisis. . Life cycle assessment software I used GaBi 6 software, produced by PE International. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Reprints will not be available from the authors. Polypropylene is recyclable with the resin code of 5, which is its numbered identification code that is used to identify what resins plastic products are made of, and indicate how they are recycled. 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). Poly(p-Phenylene Oxide). Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Sept. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poly(p-phenylene_oxide). Accessed 28 Nov. 2019. www.thefabricator.com/thefabricator/article/stamping/die-basics-101-intro-to-stamping, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/08/07/landfill-waste-how-prevent-disposable-razor-plastic-pollution/1943345001/, http://www.greatrecovery.org.uk/resources/3682/, www.plasticsnewseurope.com/article/20091119/PNE/311199986/bic-disposable-razor-1975, www.nytimes.com/1982/04/11/business/how-bic-lost-the-edge-to-gillette.html, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemical-engineering/polyphenylene-oxides, www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-03/documents/ffrrofactsheet_contaminant_tungsten_january2014_final.pdf, www.kai-group.com/global/en/kai-factory/process/razor/, www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/reducing-trichloroethylene-tce-waste-fabricated-metals-sector, www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Safety-Razor.html, www.recyclingtoday.com/article/the-recycling-potential-of-polypropylene/, www.ssab.com/company/sustainability/sustainable-offering/steel-life-cycle?di=discover21C927E58ECC41198B78D915F7E3E2AF, BEHR Oil Based Interior/Exterior Primer and Sealer, California Academy of Sciences Living Roof Life Cycle, UC Davis Social Sciences and Humanities Building, A-Z List for Digital & Electronics Topics. The disposable LMA consisted largely of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, and the reusable LMA consisted primarily of silicone. 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. LeBlanc, Rick. Ann Fr Anesth Reanim 2006;25:8114, 7. 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. Complete with an ergonomic shaped non-slip rubber handle for great control and maneuverability and easy rinse blades for 100% better rinsing (vs . 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. In addition, although this life cycle assessment study did not analyze health impacts during use of an LMA, intraoperative exposure to diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) is of some concern. Alternate assumptions were used to test model sensitivity and to create bounds to aid interpretation of the results (Table 2). Anesth Analg 2004;99:6267, 17. After reaching the end of their useful lives, both LMAs and their respective packages entered waste management, which was modeled using US average statistics on recycling/composting, landfilling, and incineration.15 Although some incineration facilities also produce electricity, this credit is not included here. Tungsten Carbide. Encyclopdia Britannica, Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc., 17 Dec. 2018, www.britannica.com/science/tungsten-carbide. Please enable scripts and reload this page. #3. : Uses, Benefits, and Safety Facts. ChemicalSafetyFacts.org, 17 June 2019, www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/polystyrene/. endstream endobj 752 0 obj <>stream The mixed plastics used in most of the razor take hundreds of years to break down in landfill, and the blades, while the metal is recyclable if separated from the rest of the product, poses a safety hazard for both the consumer and the employees who handle recyclables. The plastic handle and head of the disposable razor consists of a hybrid of polypropylene, polystyrene, and phenylene oxide, also known as PPO. 15 - 21 Our group recently performed a life cycle assessment of anesthetic drug trays, finding that reusable trays were both environmentally and . 1. In this life cycle breakdown, I will be discussing what materials go into the making of disposable razors and what processes the materials go through in the operation of making a disposable razor. 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 . 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. The Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) is where the impacts on the environment are calculated. Biron, Michel. Anyone can send in razors of any kind, and the plastic and cardboard packaging as well. Everything You Need To Know About Polystyrene (PS). Everything You Need To Know About Polystyrene (PS), 5 Nov. 2015, https://www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/polystyrene-ps-plastic. Safety Razor. How Products Are Made www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Safety-Razor.html. Chicago: American Medical Association, 2006, 27. Rogers, Tony. Interpretation of results The last step in the process is to interpret the results and compare them against each other. The number of times an LMA is reused is a particularly uncertain assumption, because there have been reports of premature disposal.16 Use in excess of the manufacturer recommended 40 times has also been reported,17 and 100 to 200 uses appears to be possible with proper handling and preuse checks.1821 Here, 10, 20, 30, 60, 80, and 100 cycles are considered as alternative assumptions. How Does Polystyrene Recycling Work?HowStuffWorks Science, HowStuffWorks, 4 Apr. We perform Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and Critical Reviews in accordance with ISO 14040/44 for products and services. may email you for journal alerts and information, but is committed The life cycle for disposable razors must first be assessed by the products design. 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. To begin the process of creating the metal, the tungsten is purified and ground into a fine powder. 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). Gillette Mach3 Disposable Razors for Men, 6 Count, Designed for Sensitive Skin. 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 These containers, mainly wooden pallets and spools, are subject to European legislat 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). The US Environmental Protection Agency's Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and other environmental Impacts (TRACI) life cycle impact assessment method was used to model environmental impacts of greenhouse gases and other pollutant emissions. Wang, Chun Tsin, and Alexander Sutulor. The second component of the razor is the plastic body which is made of a fairly inexpensive plastic called polystyrene. Each manufacturing plant or node in the supply chain is referred to as agate-to-gate (GTG) life cycle inventory. endstream endobj startxref All of which provides an easy user experience, but, takes a toll on the planet. 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.
