life cycle assessment of disposable razors

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. The study found that: Bics direct emissions were from: a combustion of fossil fuels, primarily natural gas and fuel oil, mainly used to heat buildings. Conversely, impacts can be reduced by autoclaving more LMAs at once or with other equipment with similar decontamination requirements. In this paper, this will be exactly what we will discuss, from what materials go into making a disposable razor and how they are made, to what happens to it after its tossed out, and all the energy and waste that is used and expelled throughout its lifecycle. McGain F, McAlister S, McGavin A, Story D. The financial and environmental costs of reusable and single-use plastic anaesthetic drug trays. Disposable and reusable nappies in the UK: life cycle assessment London Contamination problems with reuse of laryngeal mask airways and laryngoscopes. 11,772. To make the handle and cartridges, these various plastics are heated together and melted together along with optional colorants and various filler materials. Subramaniar Trading Company. 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. 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. 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. The LMA, within the heat seal pouch, was then placed in the steam autoclave sterilizing machine (Castle/Getinge MC 3522). Hedrick, Art. LCA is the most common tool for quantifying the environmental effects associated with a product, process, or service's entire life (Baumann and Tillman 2004).LCA was performed in accordance with the international standards of the ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 . A SYSTEMATIC METHODOLOGY FOR ACCURATE DESIGN-STAGE ESTIMATION OF ENERGY CONSUMPTION FOR INJECTION MOLDED PARTS. 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. 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. 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. In 2016, Bic reduced packaging for their Soleil Razor by 40%. In this section we also need to state the assumptions made during the process: 6,474. 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. Bic Disposable Razor (1975). Plastics News Europe, 19 Nov. 2009, www.plasticsnewseurope.com/article/20091119/PNE/311199986/bic-disposable-razor-1975. LCA is a technique to assess the environmental aspects and potential impacts associated with a product, process, or service. 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). What Is Tungsten Carbide or Hard Metal? AZoM.com, 2 Aug. 2009, https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=4827. 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. Sherman JD, Ryan S. Ecological responsibility in anesthesia practice. Wolters Kluwer Health The steps in LCA are (1) goal and scope definition, (2) life cycle inventory analysis (LCI), (3) life cycle impact assessment (LCIA), and (4) interpretation of the results. Gillette Razor Local Recycling Solutions.TerraCycle, www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/gillette-local-recycling. After the parts are manufactured it is time for the final product assembly. 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. The Nation's Freight: U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. What Is Tungsten Carbide?" Facilities that select reusable devices should implement inventory and operating procedures that ensure that devices are reused to the greatest possible extent. The extraction and consumption of resources (including energy), as well as releases to air, water, and soil, are quantified throughout all stages. 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. Its aim is a comprehensive analysis of the environmental impact of products and services. Land transport like trains and trucks use diesel as fuel and that produced 138,700 BTU (Energy Consumption by Mode of Transportation.). An LCA is an accounting of the inputs and outputs for a product system, beginning with extraction of raw materials from the earth and continuing through all of the steps of transportation, manufacturing, product fabrication, product use, and end-of-life, which may include reuse, recycling . LCA can be used to compare alternative products, processes or services; compare alternative life cycles for a certain product . 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. Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link. 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. 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 . The autoclave was typically run with 5 LMAs, although loading varied significantly. Finally, the need for manual labor in the cleaning process of reusable LMAs contributed to the costs of these 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. Life-cycle assessment stages 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. 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. Siddle, Dave. Contribution: This author helped design the study and prepare the manuscript. The life of a typical razor blade is not an easy one. Your message has been successfully sent to your colleague. 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). 1. 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. 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. After the reusable LMA was washed and dried, it was then placed into a heat seal pouch, made of polypropylene film and paper. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a technique for assessing the potential environmental aspects and potential aspects associated with a product (or service), by: compiling an inventory of relevant inputs and outputs, evaluating the potential environmental impacts associated with those inputs and outputs, 3.Quantify the materials and processes After that, the metal is pressed down to the desired blade thickness which is around 1mm (Manufacturing Processes). LMA North America. This is done on an assembly line by the robotic arm the inserts the razor blade into the small crevices in the plastic body. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 2009;53:6878, 19. Tungsten Carbide. Encyclopdia Britannica, Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc., 17 Dec. 2018, www.britannica.com/science/tungsten-carbide. All of these equipment-related cases occurred before the routine implementation of sterilization procedures currently used in health care facilities. Premature disposal of reusable LMAs has significant environmental impacts (as well as costs, discussed below). Polystyrene is not biodegradable and takes hundreds of years to break down. Safety Razor. How Products Are Made www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Safety-Razor.html. 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. BIC put out a report detailing how they deal with the waste from their factories. (i)What changes occurring in non-disposable Razor category? Using Life Cycle Assessments to Understand Cloth vs. Disposables - BAHP Finally, the assessment will be carried out on the new design to assess if it has a lower impact than the other options analysed. LCA for product sustainability. Thomas, G.P. The differences in environmental impacts between these devices strongly favor reusable devices. BIC states that it prides itself on producing affordable, safe, and quality razors for its customers worldwide. Most of those razors just end up in a landfill because most countries are not recycling them. Razor blades dull quickly after repeated use, and are recommended to be used only three to ten times, making them a cheap alternative to reusable cartridges. Manufacturing Processes (RAZOR): KAI FACTORY: KAI Group. KAI FACTORY | KAI Group, www.kai-group.com/global/en/kai-factory/process/razor/. This points to the need for effective inventory control, which is also critical for the reusable devices because there needs to be a sufficient number clean and on hand while another batch is undergoing cleaning, sterilization, and cooling. Click the image for pricing & more info. Marinella Levi. 3. PDF A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Compostable and Reusable Takeout Overcash M. Comparison of reusable and disposable medical textiles. Weissman, Alexander, et al. Each year in Italy, millions of tons of fruits and vegetables are harvested, packed and transported to national and foreign retail outlets. Since then, around 60 billion razors have been produced, distributed, and sold worldwide. 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. The Potential of Polypropylene.Recycling Today, Recycling Today, 17 July 2019, www.recyclingtoday.com/article/the-recycling-potential-of-polypropylene/. What Is Polystyrene? At 20 reuse cycles,16 the results indicate an increase in emissions of nearly 20%. hb```X ea i:=3*?a_.k7#uq-u[JRP erle@@)`EkP;~ cdC58xiv06@Jup E Flying staff to meetings, shipping, and distributing the product is the highest offender for the planet. By raising awareness and creating locations where one can drop off used razors for recycling, perhaps a change can come. 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 . Atlanta, 2012. If the reusable LMA is discarded prematurely, e.g., after 20 uses,16 the unit cost increases to $13 per unit, but decreases to $5.50 if the lifetime can be extended to 80 uses. Lv, Andrea Lind, and Tigist Fetene. Here's How to Keep Your Razors from Contributing to Landfill Waste. USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 7 Aug. 2019, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/08/07/landfill-waste-how-prevent-disposable-razor-plastic-pollution/1943345001/. Sensitivity and simple life cycle cost analyses were conducted to aid in interpretation of the results. However, of the 2 billion razors disposed of annually, about 32% end up in the ocean (Kaplan). Reducing Trichloroethylene (TCE) Waste in the Fabricated Metals Sector.EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 9 Aug. 2016, www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/reducing-trichloroethylene-tce-waste-fabricated-metals-sector. 0 8tZ Tungsten carbide is a carbide compound, made up of equal parts of tungsten and carbon. mmw*vA|5v*3n9IUt){e%!HN6@` xcr@pz*Fbiq%1!TJ-CF*1OS|UZU\vQL7M?m'b-,r~S}Y&/{#U6U)S|%q[RB !3j~tj$h>5qtsJ./j?;eosyy*"Z`'wG"M6]O}UKqw[LzY9e B,s&C4++_tI~& Me*lNU"Uigq\u7{:&VNC'rT]FB5jOa.%N%1*stBC]%y&RDs"#&iUX&?8sh:wJo ZjbO|KFmfC{:oX~'b> Disposable razors are a product that can be found in almost any average bathroom. Redesigning the Razor Life Cycle Assessment. The Great Recovery, http://www.greatrecovery.org.uk/resources/3682/. Lippiatt BC, Boyles AS. 2 offers from $9.92. 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. 3 in Table 1). 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. Some error has occurred while processing your request. DEHP is a plasticizer routinely added to impart flexibility to PVC-based products, such as IV bags, tubing, and endotracheal tubes. 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?). 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. After the products make their way to consumers and serve their purpose, the waste must be dealt with. They are resins that maintain a high dimensional stability, which helps create fast and cheap plastic razor handles (Safety Razor). Anesth Analg 2004;99:6267, 17. The authors declare no conflict of interest. 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. Sensitivity and simple life cycle cost analyses were conducted to aid in interpretation of the results. The unit cost of disposable LMAs is 20% higher at approximately $9.60 per unit. The razors are mainly made of plastic, so they will be decomposing at a very slow rate in the landfill. The materials used in the production of disposable razors are limited due to the products simplicity however, many of the materials are unsustainable in that they are not biodegradable or easily recyclable, and require heavy energy input to manufacture. 4. PDF An updated lifecycle assessment study for disposable and reusable nappies #4. It is a thermoplastic that exhibits high heat resistance, dimensional stability, and accuracy and is often combined with other plastics, such as polystyrene, due to various problems in its processing (Poly(p-Phenylene Oxide, Wikipedia.org). A life cycle assessment or analysis according to ISO 14040/14044 is an instrument of environmental and sustainability management. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. How Is Tungsten Carbide Formed? Chronicle, 20 Aug. 2015, chronicle.kennametal.com/how-is-tungsten-carbide-formed/. Life cycle assessment - Universitetet i Agder 45. Define the Life-cycle This is an example of a simple product life-cycle diagram. 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 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). Life cycle assessment of a disposable and a reusable surgery instrument Now that we understand the key challenges with the razors, and where the biggest impacts are occurring, we can begin to make informed decisions in the redesign. Once the plastic has cooled, the pieces are released from the moulds.

life cycle assessment of disposable razors 2023