For me, I had a few extra bits of plastic that I snapped off because they . Clean Edge, Non Disposable razor case study analysis - SlideShare 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. This LCA is specific for surgical gowns used in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St Paul, Minnesota. 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 With the results we supply the basis for strategic decisions for sustainable action. #3. Once all the components of the razor have been made, the components go to various stations where different tasks will be performed. The indirect emissions were mostly from the electricity use in the factories. 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. Max Soft Disposable Razor For Women - 3 Pcs In A Pack. 761 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[]/Index[748 22]/Info 747 0 R/Length 72/Prev 421064/Root 749 0 R/Size 770/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream 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. 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 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. 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. WC2N 6EZ, Redesigning the razor Life Cycle Assessment. Phase 3: Life Cycle Impact Assessment. 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. I could however not find any details about the energy consumption of the machines used in the assembly process. Polystyrene. Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Dec. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polystyrene. 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). 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. PPO elements of the disposable razor are hard to determine in years, however, data shows that most plastic items take up to 1,000 years to begin to decompose (LeBlanc). Manufacturer specifications indicate 20 kWh of electricity use for a 5-minute cycle at 135C. Rogers, Tony. Kaplan, Desire. But what really goes into making one of these seemingly mundane disposable razors and what happens to it after its tossed in the trash? xTkJ((5:Ome\%{yIlka;K=1 Tungsten carbide is a carbide compound, made up of equal parts of tungsten and carbon. There are land, air, and water-based transportation methods. 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. Staff, Creative Mechanisms. A life cycle assessment or analysis according to ISO 14040/14044 is an instrument of environmental and sustainability management. 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. Data is temporarily unavailable. 85 percent of the energy came from electricity, 14 percent came from gas, and the rest came from fuel oil (For You For Everyone Registration Document). Life Cycle Assessment - IPP - Environment - European Commission Reprints will not be available from the authors. There are 3 key tasks in this step. 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. 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. Life Cycle Assessment and Costing Methods for Device - PubMed Amazon Best Sellers: Best Men's Disposable Shaving Razors 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). Wages are then spent on food, entertainment, transport, and other economic activities that themselves have environmental impacts. 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. 2. 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. To go from raw materials to final product involves many steps and heavy energy input. 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. 8 John Adam Street The metal must be mined and extracted from the mountain causing an emission of fossil fuels and greenhouse gases (Wang). Properties: Tungsten Carbide-An Overview. AZoM.com, 25 Nov. 2019, www.azom.com/properties.aspx?ArticleID=1203. 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). 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. Conducting a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): from Theory to Practical 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. The full life cycle environmental impacts can be challenging to model, because modern production "pathways" can involve numerous interacting technologies, each of which can consume materials and energy that are themselves products of complex production processes. 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). 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). There are three main components in a disposable razor. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 748 0 obj <> endobj 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 . This reflects the equivalence between 40 disposable LMAs and their associated materials, waste, and 40 uses of 1 reusable LMA. In order to carry out the Eco-Indicator analysis method, the methodology described below has to be followed: 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. 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/. Soulias M, Martin L, Garnier N, Juniot A, Aho L, Freysz M. Disposable vs reusable laryngeal mask airway: a cost-minimization analysis. After the parts are manufactured it is time for the final product assembly. This is shown through their commitment to their eco-design process and new recycling programs that are undergoing testing. The metal is not yet to its final form, as it is still greatly held together by the previously added binders. Waste is not only a problem when a product is disposed of, but also when it is initially manufactured. 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/. Despite manufacturer-recommended cleaning processes, and various modifications thereof, proteinaceous material may remain on reusable LMAs.27 Of particular concern, these residues may expose patients to prions causing transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, CreutzfeldtJakob disease. A major flaw in the disposable razors design is in fact its inability to be sustainably and properly disposed, despite what its name suggests. Both were assumed to be transported to Los Angeles, CA, by container ship, and from there by truck to the company distribution center in San Diego, CA. Williams S, Henderson K. A survey into the number of times laryngeal masks are used. The second component of the razor is the plastic body which is made of a fairly inexpensive plastic called polystyrene. 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. Finally, the razors are packaged in cardboard and plastic, and shipped out to stores and markets globally for customers to purchase and use. Cad M, Webb T, Bjorksten A. 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). 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? 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. Packaging is an . The plastic and steel elements of the razor can be recycled, yet, because they are so lightweight and small it makes it hard to separate in the trash and unable to be recycled normally. Get new journal Tables of Contents sent right to your email inbox, http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/cjd/qa_cjd_infection_control.htm, Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable and Reusable Laryngeal Mask Airways, Articles in PubMed by Matthew Eckelman, PhD, Articles in Google Scholar by Matthew Eckelman, PhD, Other articles in this journal by Matthew Eckelman, PhD, May 2012 - Environment and Anesthesia Practice, A Comparison of Reusable and Disposable Perioperative Textiles: Sustainability State-of-the-Art 2012, Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Anesthetic Drugs, Environmental and Occupational Considerations of Anesthesia: A Narrative Review and Update, Global Warming Potential of Inhaled Anesthetics: Application to Clinical Use, A Survey of Anesthesiologists' Views of Operating Room Recycling, Privacy Policy (Updated December 15, 2022), International Anesthesia Research Society. Int J Life Cycle Assess 2001;6:7680, 13. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a method used to estimate the total environmental impacts from producing a good or service. 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. Overall BIC is an industry leader when it comes to reducing the environmental impact that their disposable products make. For You For Everyone: Registration Document.Bic World, Bic, 2016, www.bicworld.com/sites/default/files/2017-03/BIC_DRF2016_EN.pdf. Siddle, Dave. Life cycle assessment - Environmental Assessment and Optimization Group However, of the 2 billion razors disposed of annually, about 32% end up in the ocean (Kaplan). 3. The LMA was then dried with a cotton towel. 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). Terracycle is a company that was created to address the issue of recyclable products that often end up in landfills. The LCA is broken into four stages: Defining the goal and scope how much of a product's lifecycle will be addressed, the reasons for carrying out the assessment, the intended audience, and the intended end-use [] BIC states that it prides itself on producing affordable, safe, and quality razors for its customers worldwide. The carbon footprint reported was separated into two sections which are direct and indirect emissions. 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). 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. 0 8tZ 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. BIC currently holds around 11 percent market share in disposable razors (Nash). Life Cycle Impact Assessment is the estimation of indicators of the environmental pressures in terms of e.g. J Clin Anesth 1997;9:432, 20. When designing a product for circularity it is often difficult to know where to begin. 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. Julabo Gmbh, et al. Goodman EJ, Haas AJ. 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 Redesigning the razor - Life Cycle Assessment - Great Recovery Gillette Mach3 Disposable Razors for Men, 6 Count, Designed for Sensitive Skin. 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. 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. This project is a collaboration between the Great Recovery Programme and Fab Lab London. A Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable Razors. To compile a detailed life cycle inventory of the environmental burdens By raising awareness and creating locations where one can drop off used razors for recycling, perhaps a change can come. 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. This is where most of the complexity of an LCA is involved. Wang, Chun Tsin, and Alexander Sutulor. BIC Disposable Razor Design Life-Cycle Quantifying the Environmental Impacts of Labor. 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. It is used to assist companies, consumers, and policy-makers in greening their practices and decisions. (PDF) A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable - academia.edu #4. The cheap price of the razor does not reflect the high cost of its waste and impact on the environment. This document is an update and merger of two previous EPA documents on LCA ("Life Cycle Assessment: Inventory Guidelines and Principles," EPA/600/R-92/245, and "LCA101" from the LCAccess, website . 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. 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. Your message has been successfully sent to your colleague. The GTG LCIs are added together to give a cradle-to-gate (CTG) life cycle inventory . Depending upon on how the razor is packaged, the finished cartridge may or may not be assembled onto the handle of the razor, as some companies choose to package the handle detached the cartridge(s). 1.Establish the purpose of the Eco-Indicator calculations 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. It all starts with the melting and combining of the desired metal. BIC says its product beats out other models by 59 percent. LCAs can be used comparatively to assess different product or service design options or to identify environmental . 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).

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