This reflects the equivalence between 40 disposable LMAs and their associated materials, waste, and 40 uses of 1 reusable LMA. Goal, scope and background The industrial packages sector has great importance for the transport sector in Europe. 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. 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. To begin the process of creating the metal, the tungsten is purified and ground into a fine powder. Assessing all steps in that life cycle provides insight into individual stresses and burden shifts from one step to another and enables understanding of both the cumulative environmental impacts and related trade-offs in each area, throughout the lifespan of both a facility and its manufactured products. Siddle, Dave. 0 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. Each manufacturing plant or node in the supply chain is referred to as agate-to-gate (GTG) life cycle inventory. The Eco-Indicator for EPDM rubber includes the manufacturing of the rubber as well as the molding process. 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. BIC has reported their total energy usage and carbon footprint in their factories around the world, this was all however for the year 2016. This means that it takes around 1 BTU to heat a 0.035-ounce razor blade to the desired temperature (Julabo et.al). 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. The life cycle of plastics Life cycle assessment (LCA) considers the environmental aspects associated with a product over its lifespan. Our LCA team retains its reputation as the most experienced life cycle staff in North America. Anesth Analg 1998;87:921, 3. Buy Now. Reusable LMA cleaning was observed to proceed as follows. The carbon footprint reported was separated into two sections which are direct and indirect emissions. 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. Anaesth Intensive Care 2004;32:5304, 4. The metal that can be used in the cartridge is also cut out during this stage. This obviously makes the results less accurate, but it can still be used as a general indicator of impact. BIC reported that every year around 2.6 billion of their razors are chosen by consumers every year (Shaver's). Please try again soon. Phenylene oxide, or PPO, is another common plastic material used in disposable razors. The Bic USAs company website provides information about the making of the razors in the factories, regarding their inspection and factory standards, yet there is no mention for the environmental impact of the disposal. 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. Holes are then punched into the metal and the tapelike sheets of razors are then put in a roll (Manufacturing Processes). What Is Polystyrene? Disposable BIC razors are hollow and made using injection molding, but making the razors hollow is only possible because of the fluid nature of polystyrene (The Bic Razor, Still the Sharpest of the Bunch.). The Potential of Polypropylene.Recycling Today, Recycling Today, 17 July 2019, www.recyclingtoday.com/article/the-recycling-potential-of-polypropylene/. 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. For more information, please refer to our Privacy Policy. Recycling of Polypropylene (PP). AZoCleantech.com, 25 June 2012, www.azocleantech.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=240. 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 . Life cycle analysis takes into account the following categories: Energy consumption Water consumption Air emissions (including carbon dioxide and other global warming gases) Water emissions Generation of solid waste After the plastic body is manufactured it goes through inspections similar to ones the blades go through. : Uses, Benefits, and Safety Facts, ChemicalSafetyFacts.org,). A Life Cycle Assessment is the systematic analysis of the environmental impact of products during their entire life cycle. Polyphenylene Oxides.Polyphenylene Oxides - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics, 2013, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemical-engineering/polyphenylene-oxides. your express consent. The reusable LMA was found to have a more favorable environmental profile than the disposable LMA as used at Yale New Haven Hospital. The LMAs were first rinsed in tap water, scrubbed externally with a Hibiclens sponge and internally with a small scrub brush, and rinsed again. Materials were matched with appropriate life cycle inventory records from the ecoinvent database.11 Injection molding was assumed for the hard plastic pieces (polycarbonate and ABS plastic) and thermoforming for the softer plastics (silicone, polypropylene, and PVC). 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. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) Hazard Summary. LMA Classic Product Specifications, 2011, 10. To compile a detailed life cycle inventory of the environmental burdens In the case of the disposable razor however, it is fairly simple due to its nature. However, we can discuss the energy usage of different modes of transportation. Marine cargo ships use a fuel called heavy fuel oil which produces around 145,000 BTU per gallon (Energy Consumption by Mode of Transportation.). An exact number for the energy use for BIC was not obtained. Tungsten Carbide. Encyclopdia Britannica, Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc., 17 Dec. 2018, www.britannica.com/science/tungsten-carbide. 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. Zhang TW, Dornfeld DA. Anesth Analg 2012;114:105566, 8. Then we collected and structured the data in phase 2. B|$5 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 that, the metal is pressed down to the desired blade thickness which is around 1mm (Manufacturing Processes). The Environmental Protection Agency classifies DEHP as a probable carcinogen, and as a possible endocrine disrupter.24 The FDA issued an advisory in 2002 recommending steps be taken to reduce the risk of exposure to DEHP in certain populations.25 There is enough evidence of reproductive and developmental toxicant effects from DEHP for the FDA to recommend alternatives for patients deemed at high risk, namely infants, toddlers, and pregnant and lactating women. However, the LCA is not an exact science and has its limitations: However, the viability of the disposable razor is always thrown into question because of the sheer amount of resources that it expends. xTkJ((5:Ome\%{yIlka;K=1 The plastic handle and head of the disposable razor consists of a hybrid of polypropylene, polystyrene, and phenylene oxide, also known as PPO. Marinella Levi. The designed short user-time of disposable razors, causes their life cycle to be spent mostly in the landfill where they will remain for hundreds of years due to non-biodegradable plastic, however, recycling the plastic and steel is possible if sent to specific recycling facilities, which could reduce the life cycle and negative impact on the environment. Contribution: This author helped design the study and prepare the manuscript. The life cycle impacts of the disposable and reusable LMA options are shown in Figure 2 for all impact categories, on the basis of data from Yale New Haven Hospital. 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. These are the reasons why I will carry out an Eco-Indicator Assessment instead of a full LCA. The razors are mainly made of plastic, so they will be decomposing at a very slow rate in the landfill. The metal is not yet to its final form, as it is still greatly held together by the previously added binders. Disposable razors are a commonly used item for most Americans, and over two billion razors are thrown away every year in the United States (Shabecoff). The cartridge-based razor had a slightly higher impact due to the rubber parts which cant be separated from the plastic body. Sustainable Development Report. 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. LMA North America. 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. 21 offers from $5.20. The studies have not found it to be harmful to drinking water, or public safety, however, it is an ongoing research of soil data that continues. disposable paper diaper; material recycling; closed-loop recycling; life cycle assessment (LCA) 1. The total amount of direct GHG emissions in 2016 was estimated at 8,689 teqCO2, i.e. International Sympsium on Sustainable Systems and Technology. Policy H-135.945: Encouraging Alternatives to PVC/DEHP Products in Health. Saudi J Anaesth 2008;2:58. The metal is then quenched in water to bring it to -76 to -112 degrees Fahrenheit to harden the material (Safety Razor). 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. 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. 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. 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. Polypropylene. Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Nov. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polypropylene. Wages are then spent on food, entertainment, transport, and other economic activities that themselves have environmental impacts. Phoenix: IEEE, 2008, 23. The study found that: Ison E, Miller A. 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). 769 0 obj <>stream The total amount of Direct emissions from BIC factories was 8,689 tonnes of carbon dioxide (For You For Everyone Registration Document). Properly following the instructions it should (hopefully) leave you with three pieces, the handle, the metal blade, the plastic that was covering the blade. Land transport like trains and trucks use diesel as fuel and that produced 138,700 BTU (Energy Consumption by Mode of Transportation.). The Bic corporation considers their environmental impact and takes steps to reduce as much waste as possible. When designing a product for circularity it is often difficult to know where to begin. At 20 reuse cycles,16 the results indicate an increase in emissions of nearly 20%. However, given the environmental toll to such a fast accumulating, and non-biodegradable product, waste management must be more considered by both the manufacturers and the buyers. 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. And then there's the water. In the late 1990s, disposable LMAs became available. Life cycle assessment is a "cradle-to-grave" approach for determining the financial and environmental costs of a product over its entire life. #4. 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. 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. Overcash M. Comparison of reusable and disposable medical textiles. By raising awareness and creating locations where one can drop off used razors for recycling, perhaps a change can come. How One Facility Completely Eliminated the Use of TCE Schick Razor Blade Manufacturing in Knoxville, Tennessee. 2017. RSA 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. Polystyrene. Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Dec. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polystyrene. This manuscript was handled by: Steven L. Shafer, MD. 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. Sustainable Development at BIC . 6 Jan. 2011. PurposeIn this study, a life cycle assessment of a bioplastic based diaper was performed. There are 3 key tasks in this step. However, BIC did report some of its transportation statistics. 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. If you count the actual razor cover (if you haven't lost it long ago) then it will be four pieces for recycling. All of which provides an easy user experience, but, takes a toll on the planet. One of the materials used is polypropylene, a thermoplastic addition polymer made from the combination of propylene monomers (Creative Mechanisms Staff, creativemechanisms.com). Scope of the life cycle assessment for disposable and reusable laryngeal mask airways (LMAs). A life-cycle inventory of cloth and disposable diapers was conducted based on diapering habits in Canada The parameters evaluated were energy consumption, water consumption, raw materials 15 Crop water use and water use efficiency on irrigated cotton farms in Australia S. Tennakoon, S. Milroy Environmental Science 2003 93 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. Comparison of disposable and reusable laryngeal mask airways in spontaneously ventilating adult patients. Staff, Creative Mechanisms. 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. 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. The unit cost of disposable LMAs is 20% higher at approximately $9.60 per unit. 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. 1. Life-cycle assessment stages LCA's are completed particularly in relation to how to develop a sustainable world where less waste and more reuse is implemented. All that is needed is the insertion of the razor blade into the plastic body. Click the image for pricing & more info. BIC Group, 2016, Sustainable Development Report. A SYSTEMATIC METHODOLOGY FOR ACCURATE DESIGN-STAGE ESTIMATION OF ENERGY CONSUMPTION FOR INJECTION MOLDED PARTS. During production, two components have to be created which are the blade and the plastic body. 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 Comparison Life Cycle Assessment between Razor Blade and Electric Shaver. Dec. 2012. 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. The differences in environmental impacts between these devices strongly favor reusable devices. Ann Fr Anesth Reanim 2006;25:8114, 7. 5.Interpret and analyse the results. Research and Innovative Technology Administration. Any extra plastic will be discarded, remelted, and reused (Safety Razor, madehow.com). associated with the environmental interventions attributable to the life-cycle of a product. The results also suggest effective procurement strategies for reducing the impacts of disposable LMAs where they are selected. 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. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a framework for assessing the environmental impacts of product systems and decisions. 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. In this case its much harder for me to carry out an LCA on a Gillette razor than if Gillette did the LCA themselves, as they would have all the correct info required first-hand (reducing the number of assumptions needing to be used). 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. The natural half life of a large stock of reusable laryngeal mask airways at a teaching hospital. 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. 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). 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. (iii)What are the strategic lifecycle challenges for paramount's current products as well as for clean edge? Amersfoort, The Netherlands: Product Ecology (PR) Consultants, 2011, 11. What Is Polystyrene? BIC put out a report detailing how they deal with the waste from their factories. 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. 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. After getting the sharpened blade they are coated with a thin film to allows them to not lose sharpness after only a few shaves (Manufacturing Processes). Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) measures the impact of products on the environment. Wolters Kluwer Health 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. 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. 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. 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. Due to the nature of the disposable razor, they are usually just thrown in the trash and sent off to a landfill. EPA. To start the process of making the blades, tungsten carbide is melted at high temperatures. 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). 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). The blades are then carefully sharpened to create the razor blades. Data Uncertainty. Our team of experts has many years of experience in the ecological evaluation of products and services. J Clin Anesth 1997;9:432, 20. Complete with an ergonomic shaped non-slip rubber handle for great control and maneuverability and easy rinse blades for 100% better rinsing (vs . The blade is made from a tungsten steel, and carbon alloy. Data is temporarily unavailable. The newest effort to recycle disposable razors is being done in France by BIC, but the company has said that they do not plan on unveiling a recycling program anywhere else yet (Powers). The Nation's Freight: U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. 3.Quantify the materials and processes The following document provides an introductory overview of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and describes the general uses and major components of LCA. BIC says its product beats out other models by 59 percent. Your message has been successfully sent to your colleague. Cargo planes and other transport aircraft use jet fuel which produces 135,000 BTU per gallon (Energy Consumption by Mode of Transportation.). BIC states that it prides itself on producing affordable, safe, and quality razors for its customers worldwide. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. Contribution: This author helped design the study, analyze the data, and prepare the manuscript.
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