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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. There are 3 key tasks in this step. 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. 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. By raising awareness and creating locations where one can drop off used razors for recycling, perhaps a change can come. Flying staff to meetings, shipping, and distributing the product is the highest offender for the planet. This was a cradle-to-grave study that included inputs and outputs for the manufacture, transport, use, and waste phases of the LMAs. 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. With the amount of waste accumulated from the factories and the bulk of the razors ending up in landfills and oceans, a low price of $1 removes the buyer from how high the cost on the environment a disposable razor is. Life Cycle Assessment - IPP - Environment - European Commission Steel Life Cycle.SSAB, www.ssab.com/company/sustainability/sustainable-offering/steel-life-cycle?di=discover21C927E58ECC41198B78D915F7E3E2AF. The total energy consumption of the Babyplast in its four-step molding cycle of setup, fill, cool, and reset was approximately 4.5 kilowatts (Weissman et.al). Swiss Center for Life Cycle Inventories. An LCA is a life cycle assessment which is completed through research, testing and understanding of the environmental impacts a particular item creates through it's resources use/ production/distribution/disposal. What IS Life Cycle Assessment? 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 total amount of direct GHG emissions in 2016 was estimated at 8,689 teqCO2, i.e. The EPA has now stopped tracking the: impact of disposable razors on the environment and has no update on the figure (Olsen). 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. Dbendorf, Switzerland, 2011, 12. 3 in Table 1). 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). The plastic handle and head of the disposable razor consists of a hybrid of polypropylene, polystyrene, and phenylene oxide, also known as PPO. Some error has occurred while processing your request. Current LMA procurement decisions are typically based on perceived costs. 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. The metal is heated to a temperature of 1967-2048 degrees Fahrenheit and tungsten carbide has a specific heat of 0.226 BTU/lb/Fahrenheit (Safety razor). The reusable LMA was found to have a more favorable environmental profile than the disposable LMA as used at Yale New Haven Hospital. At the end of applying the additives, the blades are once again heated, to cement the coating onto the blade. Please try after some time. A new incentive must come for companies to be more sustainable with resources and create products that can still be cheap for the buyer, while also not taking a high cost on the environment. After the products make their way to consumers and serve their purpose, the waste must be dealt with. For You For Everyone: Registration Document.Bic World, Bic, 2016, www.bicworld.com/sites/default/files/2017-03/BIC_DRF2016_EN.pdf. Chain Management by Life Cycle Assessment (CMLCA) software has been used to conduct the LCA and Ecoinvent 2.01 has been used for life cycle inventory data. The use of disposable razors is unsustainable with our growing population and increased demand. 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. After the parts are manufactured it is time for the final product assembly. BIC reported that the weight of one of their most popular disposable razors is 8.8 grams (Shavers). Data Uncertainty. Bic USAs 2016 registration document provides information about the waste produced during the manufacturing of the razors. your express consent. Growing awareness of the negative impacts from the practice of health care on the environment and public health calls for the routine inclusion of life cycle criteria into the decision-making process of device selection. Eshwar Shop. E.P.A. Energy Consumption by Mode of Transportation. Energy Consumption by Mode of Transportation | Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, www.bts.gov/content/energy-consumption-mode-transportation. PDF Life Cycle Assessments of Single- Versus Multiple-use Surgical Gowns Aj When designing a product for circularity it is often difficult to know where to begin. The total amount of Direct emissions from BIC factories was 8,689 tonnes of carbon dioxide (For You For Everyone Registration Document). 2.Define the life-cycle 10 Best Disposable Razors for Men (Incl. Cartridge) - 2023 A Life Cycle Assessment is the systematic analysis of the environmental impact of products during their entire life cycle. Bic Disposable Razor (1975). Plastics News Europe, 19 Nov. 2009, www.plasticsnewseurope.com/article/20091119/PNE/311199986/bic-disposable-razor-1975. 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. The environmental effects of labor are often omitted from life cycle assessment studies, but are included here as part of the sensitivity analysis. Powers, Matt, and Amanda M. Can You Recycle Disposable Razors? Earth911.Com, 30 July 2019, earth911.com/living-well-being/health/can-you-recycle-disposable-razors/. The use of LCA to introduce life-cycle thinking into decision-making for the purchase of medical devices in the NHS. 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. Redesigning the razor - Life Cycle Assessment - Great Recovery Staff, RT. The largest source of GHG emissions for the disposable LMAs (23%) is the production and polymerization of PVC, the main material constituent. The life cycle of plastics Life cycle assessment (LCA) considers the environmental aspects associated with a product over its lifespan. Safety Razor.How Products Are Made, www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Safety-Razor.html. Saudi J Anaesth 2008;2:58. How One Facility Completely Eliminated the Use of TCE Schick Razor Blade Manufacturing in Knoxville, Tennessee. 2017. Overcash M. Comparison of reusable and disposable medical textiles. 1982, www.nytimes.com/1982/04/11/business/how-bic-lost-the-edge-to-gillette.html. Reusable LMAs were collected in a dirty device bin on the anesthesia cart and then reprocessed by the anesthesia technicians. All of these equipment-related cases occurred before the routine implementation of sterilization procedures currently used in health care facilities. To bring the metal to its final form, it is heated to extremely high temperatures to remove the binders, and to mold the metal particles together, in turn, creating a very strong and durable metal compound (Siddle, How Is Tungsten Carbide Formed?). 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. 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. The blades and lubricating strip were too light to be measured with our equipment so their weights were rounded to 1g. Gillette Mach3 Disposable Razors for Men, 6 Count, Designed for Sensitive Skin. 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. 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. It has a low density and is quite flexible and heat resistant, therefore making it an easily moulded and extruded material. These containers, mainly wooden pallets and spools, are subject to European legislat LMAs may be composed of 40% DEHP by weight. 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. 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 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. Life Cycle Assessment explained: an introduction to building LCA f'C58NQ}i:]1 $Nh@b8H|iWILGgj{J27]Xp0N@h+ !` >q The biggest impact during the cartridge-based razor life-cycle is manufacturing the cartridge as this is the part which is hardest to make. Finally, inclusion of the environmental impacts of labor for cleaning (from wages spent on goods and services) only nominally increases the total GHG and water impacts of reusable LMAs. Reusable LMAs in general appear to be made largely of silicone, lacking these same concerns for PVC/DEHP. Quantifying the Environmental Impacts of Labor. 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/. Comparative life cycle assessment of disposable and reusable - PubMed 45. This is the fourth installment in a series of blogs in which weexplore how to design a product for circularity. An updated lifecycle assessment for disposable and reusable nappies A 2005 analysis published by U.K. 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. However, the LCA is not an exact science and has its limitations: : Uses, Benefits, and Safety Facts.ChemicalSafetyFacts.org, 17 June 2019, www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/polystyrene/. Contrary to common expectation, hair is actually pretty hard. Metal materials are sent for smelting and conversion to new alloys (Terracycle). Plastics are cleaned and pelletized to be recycled into new products, such as picnic tables and park benches. climate change, summer smog, resource depletion, acidification, human health effects, etc. The metal liquid then goes through a strengthening process called annealing. The Eco-Indicator method is a tool developed to help designers conduct a simplified LCA study. 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. Pollution of the oceans from plastics has become an increasingly large issue that researchers are still assessing. 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. Introduction Paper diapers are roughly divided into two types: those for infants and those for adults. 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). In this post I havent shown the whole process, but there are downloadable links to my full Eco-Indicator results, and to the template form if youd like to carry out an assessment yourself. 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. Life cycle assessment - Environmental Assessment and Optimization Group Marine cargo ships use a fuel called heavy fuel oil which produces around 145,000 BTU per gallon (Energy Consumption by Mode of Transportation.). Life Cycle Assessment | EcoAct RSA Biro P. Damage to laryngeal masks during sterilization. The metal that can be used in the cartridge is also cut out during this stage. Main methodological choices . Manufacturing Processes (RAZOR): KAI FACTORY: KAI Group. KAI FACTORY | KAI Group, www.kai-group.com/global/en/kai-factory/process/razor/. Life of a Razor Blade - GreatRazors.com may email you for journal alerts and information, but is committed 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/. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. The metal is not yet to its final form, as it is still greatly held together by the previously added binders. These impacts are quantified here in terms of energy use, water use, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions using general factors for US labor.22. Anaesth Intensive Care 2004;32:5304, 4. To aid in solving this issue, I believe consumers should stray away from wasteful disposable razors and be encouraged to go with more sustainable and longer lasting options such as classic safety razors. Complete with an ergonomic shaped non-slip rubber handle for great control and maneuverability and easy rinse blades for 100% better rinsing (vs . a Centers for Disease Control. Life Cycle Assessment - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT: PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE | Science Inventory - US EPA The results also suggest effective procurement strategies for reducing the impacts of disposable LMAs where they are selected. It all starts with the melting and combining of the desired metal. Once Terracycle has collected the waste, it is: broken down and separated by material. Poly(p-Phenylene Oxide). Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Sept. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poly(p-phenylene_oxide). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The specific type or blend of plastic for BIC razors is used is called polystyrene (Europe). (PDF) A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable - academia.edu Sinha R, Sunder R. Retiring reusable laryngeal mask airways after 40: an anaesthetist's dilemma. 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. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) - Complete Beginner's Guide - Ecochain Contamination problems with reuse of laryngeal mask airways and laryngoscopes. Certain practices would further reduce the environmental impacts of reusable LMAs, such as increasing the number of devices autoclaved in a single cycle to 10 (25% GHG emissions) and improving the energy efficiency of the autoclaving machines by 10% (8% GHG emissions). It is used to assist companies, consumers, and policy-makers in greening their practices and decisions. Phenylene oxide, or PPO, is another common plastic material used in disposable razors. 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. Since then, around 60 billion razors have been produced, distributed, and sold worldwide. BIC has reported their total energy usage and carbon footprint in their factories around the world, this was all however for the year 2016. Properly following the instructions it should (hopefully) leave you with three pieces, the handle, the metal blade, the plastic that was covering the blade. Polypropylene. Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Nov. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polypropylene. LCA for product sustainability. The LMA was then dried with a cotton towel. Because the human health impacts of the disposable LMAs are dominated by plastics, increasing the amount of PVC by 10% leads to a significant (>5%) increase in cancer and noncancer effects. The LMAs were first rinsed in tap water, scrubbed externally with a Hibiclens sponge and internally with a small scrub brush, and rinsed again. Anesth Analg 2004;99:6267, 17. Disposable and reusable nappies in the UK: life cycle assessment Goodman EJ, Haas AJ. Once in the landfill, it usually takes around 20-30 years to breakdown. 1.Establish the purpose of the Eco-Indicator calculations Since BICs products do not go to a single location it is impossible to give an exact number for BICs energy usage in transportation. Life Cycle Impact Assessment is the estimation of indicators of the environmental pressures in terms of e.g. 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. LCA can be used to compare alternative products, processes or services; compare alternative life cycles for a certain product . Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable and Reusable - LWW 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. Criteria for the selection and purchase of medical devices typically include safety for patients and staff, efficacy and ease of use, and purchase and handling prices. Sets Strategy to End 'Staggering' Garbage Crisis.The New York Times, The New York Times, 23 Sept. 1988, www.nytimes.com/1988/09/23/us/epa-sets-strategy-to-end-staggering-garbage-crisis.html. GaBi is a LCA software that allows its users to connect environmental impacts to a product across its lifespan. 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. Disposable Blood Warmer Market 2023-2030 Future Forecasts 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. 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). Please try again soon. 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. The Ramboll Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) found that, assuming realistic usage over a year, the energy consumption involved in the use phase of reusable plastic and traditional crockery, during in-store or out-sourced washing and drying, outweighed the environmental impact of single-use paper dishes. However, it is fairly easy to find what the disposable razors components are made of, due to its simplicity. 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. 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. Premature disposal of reusable LMAs has significant environmental impacts (as well as costs, discussed below).