life cycle assessment of disposable razors life cycle assessment of disposable razors

Anesthesia & Analgesia114(5):1067-1072, May 2012. Health care facilities can decrease their environmental impacts by using reusable LMAs, by selecting disposable LMA models that are not made of certain plastics, and by ordering in bulk from local distributors. Reusable LMAs were collected in a dirty device bin on the anesthesia cart and then reprocessed by the anesthesia technicians. Main methodological choices . The metal is not yet to its final form, as it is still greatly held together by the previously added binders. In this section we also need to state the assumptions made during the process: A life cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool for analyzing the environmental impacts and resources used throughout a product's life, from raw materials extraction to production, and extending through product use and disposal. BIC has noted however that they strive to be as efficient with materials used when it comes to their packaging. What Is Tungsten Carbide or Hard Metal? AZoM.com, 2 Aug. 2009, https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=4827. 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. 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. Nash, Nathaniel C. HOW BIC LOST THE EDGE TO GILLETTE. The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 Apr. The original LMA was a reusable device (Intavent International SA, Henley-on-Thames, UK). American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Task Force on Infection Control. Finally, the assessment will be carried out on the new design to assess if it has a lower impact than the other options analysed. Ecoinvent 2.2. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) measures the impact of products on the environment. There are land, air, and water-based transportation methods. From mining and extracting the natural tungsten metal, to making the metal alloy and manufacturing just the blade, waste is released. For a number of perioperative textiles, surgical instruments, and anesthetic devices, a life cycle assessment (LCA) has been done and has shown reusables to be environmentally favorable to disposables [ 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 ]. 4. 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). 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. 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). We can see how the double edge safety razor has a much lower impact due to the low amount of parts and materials used and the fact that the blade can be separated from the rest of the body and recycled (reducing the overall impact of the product). may email you for journal alerts and information, but is committed 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. 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). The metal must be mined and extracted from the mountain causing an emission of fossil fuels and greenhouse gases (Wang). The blades and lubricating strip were too light to be measured with our equipment so their weights were rounded to 1g. Holes are then punched into the metal and the tapelike sheets of razors are then put in a roll (Manufacturing Processes). For You For Everyone: Registration Document.Bic World, Bic, 2016, www.bicworld.com/sites/default/files/2017-03/BIC_DRF2016_EN.pdf. Overall, reusable LMAs were found to have fewer negative environmental effects in nearly all categories, typically contributing <50% of the impacts of disposable LMAs. 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? Highlights Rogers, Tony. What does a business area's assessment of agreements, income, and value implicate? This break-even point will change depending on the category of environmental impact being considered. Health care facilities can decrease their environmental impacts by using reusable LMAs, to a lesser extent by selecting disposable LMA models that are not made of certain plastics, and by ordering in bulk from local distributors. Small components such as inks and labels on the packaging and on the sterilization indicator strips are expected to have negligible impacts and were excluded from the analysis. Staff, Creative Mechanisms. 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. To make the handle and cartridges, these various plastics are heated together and melted together along with optional colorants and various filler materials. The following document provides an introductory overview of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and describes the general uses and major components of LCA. Then we collected and structured the data in phase 2. a Centers for Disease Control. Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2011, 16. After the end of their recommended lifetime, reusable LMAs were also placed in municipal solid waste containers. 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. All of these software packages and models are in widespread use by life cycle assessment practitioners in the US and internationally. 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. Marvel Product Razor Lady Body Shaver Disposable Razore. Polystyrene. Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Dec. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polystyrene. 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 final product is then gathered and prepared to go through the final step which is the packaging of razors. @article{Cordella2015EvolutionOD, title={Evolution of disposable baby diapers in Europe: life cycle assessment of environmental impacts and identification of key areas of improvement}, author={Mauro Cordella and Iris Bauer and Anja Lehmann and Matthias Schulz and Oliver Wolf}, journal={Journal of Cleaner Production}, year={2015}, volume={95 . Marinella Levi. For climate change impacts specifically, the reusable LMA contributes 7.4 kg CO2e of GHGs over its life cycle, and the equivalent 40 disposable LMAs contribute 11.3 kg CO2e, or approximately the equivalent to burning a gallon (4 L) of gasoline. It is at this stage that very small amounts of other metals such as iron, silicon, and chromium may be added to the carbide to increase its strength and durability. to maintaining your privacy and will not share your personal information without The total amount of indirect emissions was 89,762 tonnes of carbon dioxide (For You For Everyone Registration Document). HUO0NpnaJd@"&u[kj-+8=WU\*w)OMYb_ry> 1F3 nyNnb 0 In landfilling or incinerating this part, the large amount of energy and material value used in creating it is lost. hbbd``b`z$k@D Teoh W, Lim Y. In conclusion, disposable razors are being used and thrown away at a rate that is unsustainable for the finite space on the planet. Address correspondence to Jodi Sherman, MD, Yale University, School of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, 333 Cedar Street, TMP3, New Haven, CT 06520. Ann Fr Anesth Reanim 2006;25:8114, 7. Soulias M, Martin L, Garnier N, Juniot A, Aho L, Freysz M. Disposable vs reusable laryngeal mask airway: a cost-minimization analysis. 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). 2.Define the life-cycle Each manufacturing plant or node in the supply chain is referred to as agate-to-gate (GTG) life cycle inventory. Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for 2010. Anesth Analg 1998;87:921, 3. Disposable LMAs are made largely from PVC plastic, which is associated with a number of health concerns that are gaining increased attention.23 Historic efforts to minimize routine medical incineration resulted in the 1998 Memorandum of Understanding between the American Hospital Association and the US Environmental Protection Agency, largely on the basis of recognition of the potential carcinogenic effects of burning PVC plastics. 6,474. BIC may be doing as much as possible to lessen the impact of the production of disposable razors, but due to the massive production it will because unsustainable, because of the energy input, material consumptions, and unrecyclable nature of disposable razors. Chu L, Mathur P, Trudell J, Brock-Utne J. Polypropylene. Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Nov. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polypropylene. Shabecoff, Philip. However, we can discuss the energy usage of different modes of transportation. The LMAs were first rinsed in tap water, scrubbed externally with a Hibiclens sponge and internally with a small scrub brush, and rinsed again. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) Hazard Summary. Each razor can last up to 12 gentle shaves. 45. However, it is fairly easy to find what the disposable razors components are made of, due to its simplicity. RSA Complete with an ergonomic shaped non-slip rubber handle for great control and maneuverability and easy rinse blades for 100% better rinsing (vs . You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. 1982, www.nytimes.com/1982/04/11/business/how-bic-lost-the-edge-to-gillette.html. endstream endobj 752 0 obj <>stream "Tungsten Processing." 3. The Fate of the Disposable Razor.Industrial Equipment News (IEN), 7 Aug. 2019, www.ien.com/product-development/news/21081402/the-fate-of-the-disposable-razor. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Anaesthesia 2000;55:7001, 18. 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. From:. J Clin Anesth 1997;9:432, 20. On the other hand, extending the number of uses to 80 (doubling the lifetime) reduces GHG emissions by 9%. The next step in the process is the assembly of all the parts. LCA is a standardized, science-based tool for quantifying the impact in order to assess lifetime environmental impact. The plastic, however stable for the user, remains stable long after it is thrown away as well. A life cycle assessment or analysis according to ISO 14040/14044 is an instrument of environmental and sustainability management. American Medical Association (AMA). These steps are not necessarily conducted in succession, but iteratively. 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 tables didnt contain values for welding steel, so it has been assumed that the value is close to welding aluminium which is in the table. Table 2 shows the results of alternate assumption on the overall results. The use of LCA to introduce life-cycle thinking into decision-making for the purchase of medical devices in the NHS. They report their waste production being at 340 tons, which represented an increase of 22% from 2015 (Bic). 3. The data collected through LCA helps organizations make conscious decisions that affect the environment.