The extraction and consumption of resources (including energy), as well as releases to air, water, and soil, are quantified throughout all stages. 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. LeBlanc, Rick. The original LMA was a reusable device (Intavent International SA, Henley-on-Thames, UK). This is only the operational energy consumption, but you still have to take into account all the energy used in the design and installation of the machinery. BIC currently holds around 11 percent market share in disposable razors (Nash). Please try after some time. Eckelman, Matthew PhD*; Mosher, Margo; Gonzalez, Andres; Sherman, Jodi MD. Most of those razors just end up in a landfill because most countries are not recycling them. Brimacombe J, Keller C, Morris R, Mecklem D. A comparison of the disposable versus the reusable laryngeal mask airway in paralyzed adult patients. However, we can discuss the energy usage of different modes of transportation. The study found that: What Is Polystyrene? 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. It is also often not accepted in curbside recycling, and even when it is, it is not separated and recycled when it reaches the dumping station, making it an unsustainable and wasteful material (Polystyrene. Wikipedia.org). Once extracted, the tungsten is then shipped to a desired location for it to be manufactured into the metal compound. : Uses, Benefits, and Safety Facts.ChemicalSafetyFacts.org, 17 June 2019, www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/polystyrene/. Biro P. Damage to laryngeal masks during sterilization. Click the image for pricing & more info. The total amount of direct GHG emissions in 2016 was estimated at 8,689 teqCO2, i.e. 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. There are three main components in a disposable razor.
Current LMA procurement decisions are typically based on perceived costs. Overall BIC is an industry leader when it comes to reducing the environmental impact that their disposable products make. There are only two components for the BIC disposable razors which are the plastic body and razor blade. Anaesth Intensive Care 2004;32:5304, 4. 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. 761 0 obj
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Teoh W, Lim Y. The LMAs were first rinsed in tap water, scrubbed externally with a Hibiclens sponge and internally with a small scrub brush, and rinsed again. We perform Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and Critical Reviews in accordance with ISO 14040/44 for products and services. There are land, air, and water-based transportation methods. Everything You Need To Know About Polystyrene (PS). Everything You Need To Know About Polystyrene (PS), 5 Nov. 2015, https://www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/polystyrene-ps-plastic. These included alternative routes and modes of transport from San Diego to New Haven, changes in autoclave loading practices and efficiency, and varied amounts of PVC in the disposable LMA. 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 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. to maintaining your privacy and will not share your personal information without
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?). Part of this responsible shipping mentality forces them to change their packaging to be able to ship more at a time. BIC reported that the weight of one of their most popular disposable razors is 8.8 grams (Shavers). The majority of eutrophication impacts from disposable LMAs are from deposition of nitrogen oxide particulates from electricity generation and waste incineration, and impacts for the reusable LMA are nearly all from wastewater used in the cleaning process. 2. Anaesthesia 2000;55:7001, 18. The use of disposable razors is unsustainable with our growing population and increased demand. 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. 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/. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a method used to estimate the total environmental impacts from producing a good or service. Gillette Mach3 Disposable Razors for Men, 6 Count, Designed for Sensitive Skin. 0 8tZ
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. What Is Tungsten Carbide?" use/disposable and multiple-use/washable surgical gowns. B|$5 However, it is fairly easy to find what the disposable razors components are made of, due to its simplicity. BIC states that it prides itself on producing affordable, safe, and quality razors for its customers worldwide. Individually autoclaving the reusable LMA (because of stock shortages, for example) increased life cycle GHG emissions by >400%, whereas loading with 10 LMAs per cycle decreased emissions by nearly 25%. Ans: (i) Significant growth in industry of super premium segment . 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. 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). 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). Despite its ability to be recycled, it often ends up in the landfill as many people dont know how to properly recycle it, people are too lazy to recycle, or the plastics arent labeled properly (Polypropylene. Wikipedia). J Clin Anesth 1997;9:432, 20. After reaching the end of their useful lives, both LMAs and their respective packages entered waste management, which was modeled using US average statistics on recycling/composting, landfilling, and incineration.15 Although some incineration facilities also produce electricity, this credit is not included here. Address e-mail to [emailprotected]. Composition Assumptions for Disposable and Reusable Largyngeal Mask Airways (LMAs). 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. 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. : Uses, Benefits, and Safety Facts, ChemicalSafetyFacts.org,). Because of its high stability, PPO is a very widely used plastic for many different household items. These containers, mainly wooden pallets and spools, are subject to European legislat Uncertainties about the correctness of the model. The product fails to include proper instructions for its waste management, causing it to be disposed of, as the name suggests. Being that it is such a common and quickly replaced product, this is is a major issue in terms of waste. Sherman JD, Ryan S. Ecological responsibility in anesthesia practice. 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. Polystyrene is not biodegradable and takes hundreds of years to break down. Wat LI, Brimacombe JR, Gee S. Laryngeal mask airway longevity and pilot-balloon failure. Siddle, Dave. There is also an additional resin called fluorine resin that is applied to the blades, which allows them to freely glide on the skin. 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. 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. Wages are then spent on food, entertainment, transport, and other economic activities that themselves have environmental impacts. 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. In landfilling or incinerating this part, the large amount of energy and material value used in creating it is lost. They have teamed up with Gillette to raise awareness about the massive waste of disposable razors by allowing users to mail their old razors in to be recycled. Considering human health concerns, the majority (60%) of impacts for the disposable LMA is due to the production of polymers, PVC in particular, with emissions from incineration contributing another 15%. The 2 LMA options are nearly equivalent in terms of eutrophication impacts, but with different contributions. Once the plastic has cooled, the pieces are released from the moulds. Disposable razors are created for a short user time, and an easy answer to the growing populations fast paced lifestyles and needs for shaving: they are primarily designed to be simple, economical, and disposable (Safety Razor). Plastics are cleaned and pelletized to be recycled into new products, such as picnic tables and park benches. 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nyNnb 0 Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2011, 16. Reusable LMAs were collected in a dirty device bin on the anesthesia cart and then reprocessed by the anesthesia technicians. The authors declare no conflict of interest. Research and Innovative Technology Administration. qILL@#nO @8
The largest sources of both cancer and noncancer impacts for the reusable LMA are from emissions from waste management (35%), the mining and production of metals to build wastewater treatment infrastructure (25%), and the bleaching of packaging paper and the card insert (20%). By far, the biggest impact during the manufacturing of the razors was the 17 spot welds done in each cartridge. Highly effective in driving partnerships, public policies and projects that accelerate the shift towards a sustainable built environment. Reusable LMA cleaning was observed to proceed as follows. 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. The next step in the process is the assembly of all the parts. a Centers for Disease Control. From:. Int Anesthesiol Clin 2010;48:139, 24. RSA
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. The Great Recovery was a project by the RSA working with Innovate UK which ran between 2012 and 2016. 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). Life cycle assessment software I used GaBi 6 software, produced by PE International. @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 . The environmental impacts of the 2 LMAs were estimated using SimaPro life cycle assessment software and the Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability impact assessment method. 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. Polypropylene. Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Nov. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polypropylene. SimaPro 7.3.2. 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. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) measures the impact of products on the environment. 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 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. Until now, we defined what we want to measure and collect in phase 1. A Life Cycle Assessment is the systematic analysis of the environmental impact of products during their entire life cycle. 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 tungsten carbide is then ground into an extremely fine powder in a wet mill process, where metal binders and other metals such as cobalt may be added to increase the metals strength and durability and to help hold the powder together when it is shaped. #3. 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. 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 . mmw*vA|5v*3n9IUt){e%!HN6@`
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Main methodological choices . 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. The total amount of Direct emissions from BIC factories was 8,689 tonnes of carbon dioxide (For You For Everyone Registration Document). WC2N 6EZ, Redesigning the razor Life Cycle Assessment. Each time the steam autoclave machine conducts a sterilizing cycle, a large amount of energy is used to heat the steam. Saudi J Anaesth 2008;2:58. Reprints will not be available from the authors. To compile a detailed life cycle inventory of the environmental burdens The company urges users to mail packages over 15 lbs., in order to reduce the waste of mail as well, yet is not necessary. For waste management, switching from 100% incineration to 100% landfilling typically reduced impacts across all categories by 5%10%, with the national average scenario results decreasing in between. 1. The blade is made from a tungsten steel, and carbon alloy. Sensitivity and simple life cycle cost analyses were conducted to aid in interpretation of the results. Anyone can send in razors of any kind, and the plastic and cardboard packaging as well. Life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) covers all relevant inputs from the environment (e.g., ores and crude oil, water, land use) as well as emissions into air, water and soil (e.g., carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides). Each razor can last up to 12 gentle shaves. The autoclave was typically run with 5 LMAs, although loading varied significantly. Technical Fact Sheet-Tungsten.Technical Fact Sheet- Tungsten, EPA, Jan. 2014, www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-03/documents/ffrrofactsheet_contaminant_tungsten_january2014_final.pdf. This project is a collaboration between the Great Recovery Programme and Fab Lab London. Polycarbonate production (14%), transportation via truck (15%), thermoforming (13%), and waste disposal (11%) cause the majority of the remaining emissions. Olsen, Alexandra. In order to carry out the Eco-Indicator analysis method, the methodology described below has to be followed: 1.Establish the purpose of the Eco-Indicator calculations 2.Define the life-cycle 3.Quantify the materials and processes 4.Complete the form 5.Interpret and analyse the results PurposeIn this study, a life cycle assessment of a bioplastic based diaper was performed. 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. 3. Differences in environmental impacts between devices may present a compelling consideration in their selection. Your message has been successfully sent to your colleague. 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. Sustainable Development Report. 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). Contrary to common expectation, hair is actually pretty hard. After that the blades go through a blade edging process, which consists of the blade strips first being coarsely ground by whetstone, second being ground at an angle with a finer whetstone, and then having the tip of the blades ground (Manufacturing Processes). 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). Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/cjd/qa_cjd_infection_control.htm. 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. American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Task Force on Infection Control. 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. 13, 14 There are few published life cycle assessment studies of medical items (ref. Poly(Phenylene Oxide). The Polymer Science Learning Center, www.pslc.ws/macrog/ppo.htm. 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. Another advantage is that the process produces a single score (Eco-Indicator Point) for the all the impacts of the product, not just individual ones for each part. 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. Properly following the instructions it should (hopefully) leave you with three pieces, the handle, the metal blade, the plastic that was covering the blade. The major problem with recycling this plastic however, is that during the heating process, the plastic degrades in quality making it less valuable (What Is Tungsten Carbide or Hard Metal?, AZoM.com). A life-cycle assessment or LCA is a 'cradle to grave' analysis of the impact of a manufactured product on the environment. endstream
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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. 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, f'C58NQ}i:]1
$Nh@b8H|iWILGgj{J27]Xp0N@h+ !` >q The fewer LMAs placed in the autoclave, the larger the impacts on GHG emissions and global warming on each individual unit. associated with the environmental interventions attributable to the life-cycle of a product. 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. Disposable razors are designed for consumers that prefer minimum spending . 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. The metal liquid then goes through a strengthening process called annealing. Biron, Michel. 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. Washington, DC: U.S. Bureau of Transportation, 2002, 14. But this is expected from a large brand like Gillette. Metal materials are sent for smelting and conversion to new alloys (Terracycle). Bic USAs 2016 registration document provides information about the waste produced during the manufacturing of the razors. Since BICs products do not go to a single location it is impossible to give an exact number for BICs energy usage in transportation. The data collected through LCA helps organizations make conscious decisions that affect the environment.