Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) measures the impact of products on the environment. This is where the razors are portioned into their desired packaging amounts, that will be sent off to consumers. 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. 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. How One Facility Completely Eliminated the Use of TCE Schick Razor Blade Manufacturing in Knoxville, Tennessee. 2017. 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. Reusable LMAs were collected in a dirty device bin on the anesthesia cart and then reprocessed by the anesthesia technicians. The high waste from manufacturing and shipping such a small, and cheap product is one that is negatively impacting the planet. There are land, air, and water-based transportation methods. Online Course Life Cycle Assessment | MIT Professional Education The blade is made from a tungsten steel, and carbon alloy. Life Cycle Assessment Study single use vs. multiple use Staff, RT. Sensitivity and simple life cycle cost analyses were conducted to aid in interpretation of the results. Subramaniar Trading Company. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a modeling tool for quantifying the environmental impacts of products and processes. (PDF) Sources, Fate and Effects of Microplastics in the Marine Disposable razors are designed for consumers that prefer minimum spending . The majority (77%) of life cycle CO2e emissions for the reusable LMA is from natural gas production and combustion to produce steam for the autoclave machine. This assessment is exceptionally useful as it shows the designer what areas are the most impactful during the products life cycle. Paper diapers for infants, which are highly convenient as they do not require laundering like cloth diapers, are essential for daily life in Japan. 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. Therefore, to help designers get started and make informed decisions, a Life cycle Analysis (LCA) can be carried out using the information gathered during the research stage. 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. The metal is then quenched in water to bring it to -76 to -112 degrees Fahrenheit to harden the material (Safety Razor). Wat LI, Brimacombe JR, Gee S. Laryngeal mask airway longevity and pilot-balloon failure. However, they also affirmed that they strive to make their products with an eco-design approach by using recycled materials or bioplastics in their different products (For You for Everyone Registration Document). Until now, we defined what we want to measure and collect in phase 1. Disposable razors are a product that can be found in almost any average bathroom. With the recommended use of three to ten uses for disposable razors, they quickly end up in the landfill to decompose. Reusable LMAs in general appear to be made largely of silicone, lacking these same concerns for PVC/DEHP. 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. 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. Applying this method of assessment is complex and difficult and translating the theory into a . 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. Bic has attempted to lower their direct emissions by having factories world-wide and creating: a Transport Community which connects shipping managers on each continent to raise control for greenhouse gas emissions, optimize shipments and routes, and use only responsible carriers (Bic). Gillette Mach3 Men's Disposable Razor for Sensitive Skin - Best Cartridge Razor for Sensitive Skin. 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 their study of Life cycle assessment of wastewater treatment technologies treating petroleum process waters, Vlaopolous et al. Address correspondence to Jodi Sherman, MD, Yale University, School of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, 333 Cedar Street, TMP3, New Haven, CT 06520. 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. Poly(Phenylene Oxide). The Polymer Science Learning Center, www.pslc.ws/macrog/ppo.htm. The high levels of pollution from disposable razor blades alone caused the EPA to claim a national garbage crisis in the late 1980s, and the actual figure of 2 billion razors thrown away every year dates back to the 1990s. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. 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). What is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)? - Sphera Of course the 2.6 billion razors were not, all the same, however, we can still give a ballpark estimate of how many tonnes of plastic/metal waste is being produced every year. 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. 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. 1982, www.nytimes.com/1982/04/11/business/how-bic-lost-the-edge-to-gillette.html. (PDF) A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable - academia.edu 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 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. 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. A Life Cycle Assessment is the systematic analysis of the environmental impact of products during their entire life cycle. 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/. f'C58NQ}i:]1 $Nh@b8H|iWILGgj{J27]Xp0N@h+ !` >q It all starts with the melting and combining of the desired metal. 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). Life Cycle Assessment - Sustainability Guide Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2000 rev, 25. The use of disposable razors is unsustainable with our growing population and increased demand. 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 extraction and consumption of resources (including energy), as well as releases to air, water, and soil, are quantified throughout all stages. 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. %PDF-1.5 % 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. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Another material used is polystyrene. Their disposable nature causes them to be put into landfills faster than it takes them to be made, packaged, and shipped. This is where most of the complexity of an LCA is involved. %%EOF Chu L, Mathur P, Trudell J, Brock-Utne J. 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. There is uncertainty in several model assumptions. They have estimated that they expend around 11.77 gigajoules of energy per ton of their products that they produce (For You For Everyone Registration Document) The BIC report also categorized the energy where they obtained the energy. The effect of alternate transport modes was quite small for the reusable LMA but quite significant for the disposable LMAs, leading to a large increase in GHG emissions in particular from air freight. 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. To compile a detailed life cycle inventory of the environmental burdens The data collected through LCA helps organizations make conscious decisions that affect the environment. 1. may email you for journal alerts and information, but is committed 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. Disposable Razors at Best Price in India - IndiaMART Nash, Nathaniel C. HOW BIC LOST THE EDGE TO GILLETTE. The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 Apr. After the reusable LMA was washed and dried, it was then placed into a heat seal pouch, made of polypropylene film and paper. 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. Dbendorf, Switzerland, 2011, 12. The biggest impact during the cartridge-based razor life-cycle is manufacturing the cartridge as this is the part which is hardest to make. Redesigning the Razor Life Cycle Assessment. The Great Recovery, http://www.greatrecovery.org.uk/resources/3682/. Polystyrene is not biodegradable and takes hundreds of years to break down. 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). This short course will give you an introduction to life cycle assessment (LCA) methods and how to apply them in real-life situations.. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a rapidly evolving tool used to determine impacts of products or systems over a range of environmental and resource issues. 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. Properties: Tungsten Carbide-An Overview. AZoM.com, 25 Nov. 2019, www.azom.com/properties.aspx?ArticleID=1203. Bic did have an increase in non-hazardous waste due to: expansion work or renovation of buildings or development of new products and manufacturing equipment (For You For Everyone: Registration Document, Bic) For carbon footprint assessments for large companies, they are assessed on direct (scope 1) emissions and indirect (scope 2) emissions of greenhouse gases. 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. A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable and Reusable Packaging for the Distribution of Italian Fruit and Vegetables. Finally, the razors are packaged in cardboard and plastic, and shipped out to stores and markets globally for customers to purchase and use. 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. Saudi J Anaesth 2008;2:58. 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. The Great Recovery was a project by the RSA working with Innovate UK which ran between 2012 and 2016. Due to the nature of the disposable razor, they are usually just thrown in the trash and sent off to a landfill. Eshwar Shop. 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. 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. 748 0 obj <> endobj Cited Here. xTkJ((5:Ome\%{yIlka;K=1 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). 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. LCA is a standardized, science-based tool for quantifying the impact in order to assess lifetime environmental impact. Contrary to common expectation, hair is actually pretty hard. 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. For example, LCA results can tell us if one product is environmentally preferable to another . What Is Tungsten Carbide or Hard Metal? AZoM.com, 2 Aug. 2009, https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=4827. 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. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Sustainability Assessment - Fraunhofer Life Cycle Assessment explained: an introduction to building LCA 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. Bic Disposable Razor (1975). Plastics News Europe, 19 Nov. 2009, www.plasticsnewseurope.com/article/20091119/PNE/311199986/bic-disposable-razor-1975. 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 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. How Long Will It Take That Bag of Trash to Decompose in a Landfill?The Balance Small Business, The Balance Small Business, 22 Oct. 2019, www.thebalancesmb.com/how-long-does-it-take-garbage-to-decompose-2878033#plastic-waste. What Is Tungsten Carbide?" BIC states that it prides itself on producing affordable, safe, and quality razors for its customers worldwide. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) explained - PR Sustainability The purpose of this assessment is to compare two different types of razors: cartridge based vs. double edge safety razor. After the products make their way to consumers and serve their purpose, the waste must be dealt with. In BIC factories they pride themselves in producing a quality product, so the blades go through a series of highly precise visual inspections with cameras which help with rejecting blades that do not meet BIC standards (Case Studies) After that they go through visual inspection is done be BIC employees to reject any blades that the cameras were not rejected by the inspection camera system, the blades are then send off to be coated and burned. a 4.1% (Bic). life cycle assessment European Environment Agency Properly Recycle Your Disposable Razors | Leafygreen.info A major flaw in the disposable razors design is in fact its inability to be sustainably and properly disposed, despite what its name suggests. 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 authors declare no conflict of interest. Additionally, the PVC-dominated material composition of the disposable LMA and associated packaging added significantly to its impacts. Bic USAs 2016 registration document provides information about the waste produced during the manufacturing of the razors. There are only two components for the BIC disposable razors which are the plastic body and razor blade. Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is a process of evaluating the effects that a product has on the environment over the entire period of its life thereby increasing resource-use efficiency and decreasing liabilities. 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. (i)What changes occurring in non-disposable Razor category? Waste is not only a problem when a product is disposed of, but also when it is initially manufactured. Plastics are cleaned and pelletized to be recycled into new products, such as picnic tables and park benches. Anesthesiology 2003;99:1066, 6. After that, the metal is pressed down to the desired blade thickness which is around 1mm (Manufacturing Processes). Silver Spring, MD: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2002, 26. BIC is a French manufacturing company that produces a variety of disposable consumer products like pens, lighters and disposable razors. What is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)? | iPoint-systems 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). Polyphenylene Oxides.Polyphenylene Oxides - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics, 2013, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemical-engineering/polyphenylene-oxides. 2. Differences in environmental impacts between devices may present a compelling consideration in their selection. 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. Life cycle assessment - Universitetet i Agder The product has several innovative elements, due to the implementation of eco-design principles, such as: (1) introduction of biopolymers (namely polylactic acid (PLA) and Mater-bi), (2) relevant . There are various ways that the product can get there. Life-cycle assessment - Ways of reducing the use of resources - AQA 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. climate change, summer smog, resource depletion, acidification, human health effects, etc. Atlanta, 2012. 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. The LMA, within the heat seal pouch, was then placed in the steam autoclave sterilizing machine (Castle/Getinge MC 3522). These results will then be used to inform the design process and improve the redesigned razor. Convenience is a potential advantage for disposable LMAs, and facilities that use reusable LMAs must ensure that a variety of sizes are always available when needed. 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. In this case its the life-cycle of the cartridge-based razor. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. After the end of their recommended lifetime, reusable LMAs were also placed in municipal solid waste containers. PDF An updated lifecycle assessment study for disposable and reusable nappies 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). Life cycle assessment of a disposable and a reusable surgery instrument set for spinal fusion surgeries Leiden A, Cerdas F, Noriega D, Beyerlein J, Herrmann C. Life cycle assessment of a disposable and reusable surgery instrument set for spinal fusion surgeries. Redesigning the razor - Life Cycle Assessment - Great Recovery J Clin Anesth 1997;9:432, 20. 2019, science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/polystyrene-recycling.htm. Contamination problems with reuse of laryngeal mask airways and laryngoscopes. 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. During the research, I could not find how much energy BIC injection molding machines use, but I did find the energy usage of a common injection molding machine called the Babyplast. Once Terracycle has collected the waste, it is: broken down and separated by material. 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. Conversely, impacts can be reduced by autoclaving more LMAs at once or with other equipment with similar decontamination requirements. 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. Sensitivity and simple life cycle cost analyses were conducted to aid in interpretation of the results. 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. In the late 1990s, disposable LMAs became available. What Is Polystyrene? Olsen, Alexandra. It is used to assist companies, consumers, and policy-makers in greening their practices and decisions. 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. Marinella Levi. A 20-mL disposable syringe was used during device placement to inflate the cuffs of both types of LMAs to ensure proper fit, and a procedure was then performed. Highly effective in driving partnerships, public policies and projects that accelerate the shift towards a sustainable built environment. PDF Life Cycle Assessments of Single- Versus Multiple-use Surgical Gowns Aj To begin the process of creating the metal, the tungsten is purified and ground into a fine powder. 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. BIC has reported their total energy usage and carbon footprint in their factories around the world, this was all however for the year 2016. The Potential of Polypropylene.Recycling Today, Recycling Today, 17 July 2019, www.recyclingtoday.com/article/the-recycling-potential-of-polypropylene/. 4. This is known as a Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) This can be extremely complex because it can involve dozens of separate processes, as well as hundreds of tracked substances. EPA. Cad M, Webb T, Bjorksten A. However, we can discuss the energy usage of different modes of transportation. After the plastic body is manufactured it goes through inspections similar to ones the blades go through. There could be hundreds of different sources for their materials.