life cycle assessment of disposable razors

To begin the process of making tungsten carbide, the tungsten must first be extracted. The sheets are then cut out using a process called die stamping, using a tool called a die stamp which is a special, one-of-a-kind precision tool that cuts and forms sheet metal into a desired shape or profile, where the blades are die stamped at a rate of 800-1,200 strokes a minute into the desired shape and size (Hedrick, Die Basics 101: Intro to Stamping.). There are some solutions and new recycling ideas, yet, the reduction of waste for disposable razors is still far off. Wages are then spent on food, entertainment, transport, and other economic activities that themselves have environmental impacts. Finally, the razors are packaged in cardboard and plastic, and shipped out to stores and markets globally for customers to purchase and use. The alternatives are objects made of bio compostable plastic,. 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 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. BIC is voicing their concern about the environmental impact that their large production goals can have. The company urges users to mail packages over 15 lbs., in order to reduce the waste of mail as well, yet is not necessary. 45. Each year in Italy, millions of tons of fruits and vegetables are harvested, packed and transported to national and foreign retail outlets. (i)What changes occurring in non-disposable Razor category? Reusable LMAs were collected in a dirty device bin on the anesthesia cart and then reprocessed by the anesthesia technicians. Choosing models that use alternate materials is recommended, particularly because the American Medical Association is urging hospitals and health systems to reduce their use of PVC products, especially those containing DEHP.26 The shipment of LMAs by air also greatly increased overall impacts, pointing to a strategy of bulk ordering from local distributors well in advance of use, and avoiding overnight shipment whenever possible. 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. LCAs can be used comparatively to assess different product or service design options or to identify environmental . But what really goes into making one of these seemingly mundane disposable razors and what happens to it after its tossed in the trash? Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) | Sustainable Agriculture Research 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. Phase 3: Life Cycle Impact Assessment. Main methodological choices . 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/. Disposable and reusable LMAs typically differ in material composition, packaging, reuse, and cost. Anesthesiology 2003;99:1066, 6. Some error has occurred while processing your request. The blades are then carefully sharpened to create the razor blades. 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. Life Cycle Approach to Plastic Pollution - Life Cycle Initiative RSA American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Task Force on Infection Control. 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 can be used to study the environmental impact of either a product or the function the product is designed to perform. London Life cycle assessment is a "cradle-to-grave" approach for determining the financial and environmental costs of a product over its entire life. Anesth Analg 2004;99:6267, 17. 3. On the other hand, extending the number of uses to 80 (doubling the lifetime) reduces GHG emissions by 9%. Impact Assessment. Ann Fr Anesth Reanim 2006;25:8114, 7. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a modeling tool for quantifying the environmental impacts of products and processes. 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. A Life Cycle Assessment is the systematic analysis of the environmental impact of products during their entire life cycle. Experience spanning from the market-leading environment and climate practice of a global top 10 law firm - to leading Europe's largest . Once the plastic has cooled, the pieces are released from the moulds. Until now, we defined what we want to measure and collect in phase 1. In landfilling or incinerating this part, the large amount of energy and material value used in creating it is lost. Any extra plastic will be discarded, remelted, and reused (Safety Razor, madehow.com). Ison E, Miller A. Buy Now. 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. 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). The blade is made from a tungsten steel, and carbon alloy. Europe, Plastic News. Reusable LMA cleaning was observed to proceed as follows. PDF A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Compostable and Reusable Takeout These few simple materials go through processes of heating, cooling, moulding, cutting, and sharpening throughout their manufacturing process to eventually become the handle, razor blades, and blade cartridge, that will then be assembled to become a disposable razor. What Is Polystyrene? 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). 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). 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. 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. 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. 1. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Solid Waste Management Consultants The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. They also reported how they dealt with their non-hazardous waste 76 percent was recycled, 11 percent incineration with energy recovery, 10 percent was sent to land disposal, and the remaining 3 percent was sent off for a different treatment (For You for Everyone Registration Document). E-LCA is a time tested assessment technique that evaluates environmental performance throughout the life cycle of a product or from performing a service. 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. Because the human health impacts of the disposable LMAs are dominated by plastics, increasing the amount of PVC by 10% leads to a significant (>5%) increase in cancer and noncancer effects. However, the viability of the disposable razor is always thrown into question because of the sheer amount of resources that it expends. Our LCA team retains its reputation as the most experienced life cycle staff in North America. 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. 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. 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. Life Cycle Assessment of Reusable and Disposable Cleanroom Coveralls 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. Polystyrene is not biodegradable and takes hundreds of years to break down. 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. Reusable LMAs in general appear to be made largely of silicone, lacking these same concerns for PVC/DEHP. SimaPro is our flagship product: life cycle assessment software that gives sustainability experts, product designers and decision-makers the power to gain insight into the environmental performance of products and services, to define hotspots and to drive positive change. endstream endobj 749 0 obj <>/Metadata 40 0 R/Pages 746 0 R/StructTreeRoot 63 0 R/Type/Catalog>> endobj 750 0 obj <>/MediaBox[0 0 612 792]/Parent 746 0 R/Resources<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI]>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/Tabs/S/Type/Page>> endobj 751 0 obj <>stream 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). 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. 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. 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. A Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable Razors. Interpretation of results The last step in the process is to interpret the results and compare them against each other. Gillette Mach3 Men's Disposable Razor for Sensitive Skin - Best Cartridge Razor for Sensitive Skin. Metal materials are sent for smelting and conversion to new alloys (Terracycle). The differences in environmental impacts between these devices may present a compelling consideration in device selection when concern for infection transmission is not a factor. In this section we also need to state the assumptions made during the process: Through an examination of how the raw materials: carbide steel, tungsten steel, and a combination of the plastics: polypropylene, polystyrene, and phenylene oxide of the razors decompose, and how much waste is accumulated in making the razors, an assessment can be made for the duration of their life cycle. Several clinical trials comparing function and ease of placement demonstrated no significant difference between disposable and reusable versions,25 allowing hospitals to base purchase decisions on economic considerations alone. This project is a collaboration between the Great Recovery Programme and Fab Lab London. 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. Highly effective in driving partnerships, public policies and projects that accelerate the shift towards a sustainable built environment. Research and Innovative Technology Administration. Marvel Product Razor Lady Body Shaver Disposable Razore. Anaesth Intensive Care 2004;32:5304, 4. 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). 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). 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. This is done on an assembly line by the robotic arm the inserts the razor blade into the small crevices in the plastic body. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Contribution: This author helped design the study and prepare the manuscript. 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). 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. Once all the components of the razor have been made, the components go to various stations where different tasks will be performed. Holes are then punched into the metal and the tapelike sheets of razors are then put in a roll (Manufacturing Processes). From the *Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA; School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT; Department of Anesthesiology, Yale School of Medicine/YaleNew Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT. Funding: Department of Anesthesiology, Yale School of Medicine. A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable and Reusable Packaging for the Distribution of Italian Fruit and Vegetables. The final product is then gathered and prepared to go through the final step which is the packaging of razors. 10 Best Disposable Razors for Men (Incl. Cartridge) - 2023 4. BIC put out a report detailing how they deal with the waste from their factories. Most of those razors just end up in a landfill because most countries are not recycling them. 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. BIC is a French manufacturing company that produces a variety of disposable consumer products like pens, lighters and disposable 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 . 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> The metal used for the razor blades is called Tungsten Carbide which is used in wear applications, such as shaving (Safety Razor). The unit cost of disposable LMAs is 20% higher at approximately $9.60 per unit. J Clin Anesth 1997;9:432, 20. Disposable Razors at Best Price in India - IndiaMART Life-cycle assessment - Ways of reducing the use of resources - AQA Everything You Need To Know About Polypropylene (PP) Plastic. Everything You Need To Know About Polypropylene (PP) Plastic, https://www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/all-about-polypropylene-pp-plastic. Dbendorf, Switzerland, 2011, 12. The metal liquid then goes through a strengthening process called annealing. Manufacturers can do this solely by machine or by human eye/hand plus machine for extra quality assurance. Sensor3 disposable razors for men feature an enhanced Lubrastrip with water activated Comfortgel technology for ultra-gentle shaving on your sensitive skin. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) Hazard Summary. 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. 2 offers from $9.92. Quantifying the Environmental Impacts of Labor. 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.



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