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 . The metal used for the razor blades is called Tungsten Carbide which is used in wear applications, such as shaving (Safety Razor). Marvel Product Razor Lady Body Shaver Disposable Razore. Our team of experts has many years of experience in the ecological evaluation of products and services. Bic USAs 2016 registration document provides information about the waste produced during the manufacturing of the razors. Sensitivity and simple life cycle cost analyses were conducted to aid in interpretation of the results. 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. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/cjd/qa_cjd_infection_control.htm. Production of razor blades across the industry is fairly standard. BIC currently holds around 11 percent market share in disposable razors (Nash). There is also an additional resin called fluorine resin that is applied to the blades, which allows them to freely glide on the skin. 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. Tungsten Carbide. Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Nov. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tungsten_carbide. Resources, Conservation & Recycling 156 (2020) 104704. The reusable LMA was found to have a more favorable environmental profile than the disposable LMA as used at Yale New Haven Hospital. 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. These results suggest that the reusable LMA Classic has fewer life cycle impacts in comparison with the disposable LMA Unique at Yale New Haven Hospital, across several categories of concern. Properties: Tungsten Carbide-An Overview. AZoM.com, 25 Nov. 2019, www.azom.com/properties.aspx?ArticleID=1203. Next, the razors will be tested for flaws, strength, and razor hardness and sharpness (Safety Razor, madehow.com). Facilities that select reusable devices should implement inventory and operating procedures that ensure that devices are reused to the greatest possible extent. Camera visual inspection is performed and This is all to ensure BICs quality standards are being met and ensure a quality product. Highlights To begin the process of creating the metal, the tungsten is purified and ground into a fine powder. 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. There are only two components for the BIC disposable razors which are the plastic body and razor blade. The GTG LCIs are added together to give a cradle-to-gate (CTG) life cycle inventory . 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. 769 0 obj <>stream Policy H-135.945: Encouraging Alternatives to PVC/DEHP Products in Health. This is the fourth installment in a series of blogs in which weexplore how to design a product for circularity. Uncertainties about the correctness of the model. Julabo Gmbh, et al. Cad M, Webb T, Bjorksten A. When you take your blades in to the scrap metal center, choose the steel recycling bin. 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/. Paper diapers for infants, which are highly convenient as they do not require laundering like cloth diapers, are essential for daily life in Japan. LCA is a standardized, science-based tool for quantifying the impact in order to assess lifetime environmental impact. 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. Anaesthesia 2000;55:7001, 18. 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. 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. (i)What changes occurring in non-disposable Razor category? Some error has occurred while processing your request. Applying this method of assessment is complex and difficult and translating the theory into a . Everything You Need To Know About Polystyrene (PS).Everything You Need To Know About Polystyrene (PS), www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/polystyrene-ps-plastic. (iii)What are the strategic lifecycle challenges for paramount's current products as well as for clean edge? BIC Group, 2016, For You For Everyone Registration Document. Until now, we defined what we want to measure and collect in phase 1. hb```X ea i:=3*?a_.k7#uq-u[JRP erle@@)`EkP;~ cdC58xiv06@Jup E 2 offers from $9.92. Address e-mail to [emailprotected]. BIC has reported their total energy usage and carbon footprint in their factories around the world, this was all however for the year 2016. Chu L, Mathur P, Trudell J, Brock-Utne J. Polycarbonate production (14%), transportation via truck (15%), thermoforming (13%), and waste disposal (11%) cause the majority of the remaining emissions. LCA's are completed particularly in relation to how to develop a sustainable world where less waste and more reuse is implemented. During a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), environmental impacts are evaluated throughout the entire life cycle of a product (production, use and disposal or recovery).This also includes the upstream and downstream processes associated with production (e.g., the production of . BIC has repeatedly come under fire because of the environmental impact their disposable razors have, due to the sheer amount of their disposable products are used every year. 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 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. An estimated 1 L of tap water was used to wash and rinse 1 LMA (or 40 L over a lifetime of 40 uses). 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. To compile a detailed life cycle inventory of the environmental burdens BIC says its product beats out other models by 59 percent. What IS Life Cycle Assessment? Terracycle. Research and Innovative Technology Administration. These results will then be used to inform the design process and improve the redesigned razor. `""(w J Environ Assess Policy Manage 2000;2:45376, 2. The LMAs were first rinsed in tap water, scrubbed externally with a Hibiclens sponge and internally with a small scrub brush, and rinsed again. At 20 reuse cycles,16 the results indicate an increase in emissions of nearly 20%. Table 2 shows the results of alternate assumption on the overall results. 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. 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/. 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. Wat LI, Brimacombe JR, Gee S. Laryngeal mask airway longevity and pilot-balloon failure. 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. However, we can discuss the energy usage of different modes of transportation. The largest source of GHG emissions for the disposable LMAs (23%) is the production and polymerization of PVC, the main material constituent. After the parts are manufactured it is time for the final product assembly. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. LMA Classic Product Specifications, 2011, 10. 2. Polystyrene is a naturally transparent thermoplastic that is available as both a typical solid plastic as well in the form of a rigid foam material (Rodgers, Everything You Need To Know About Polystyrene (PS).). 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). BIC is voicing their concern about the environmental impact that their large production goals can have. Life Cycle Approach to Plastic Pollution - Life Cycle Initiative Our news to your inbox Click to subscribe to LC Net info@lifecycleinitiative.org About Us Our Activities & Tools Reports & Training News & Events Get Involved Life Cycle Approach to Plastic Pollution Activities Life Cycle Assessment in High-Impact sectors 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). But this is expected from a large brand like Gillette. 3.Quantify the materials and processes All of which provides an easy user experience, but, takes a toll on the planet. Materials were matched with appropriate life cycle inventory records from the ecoinvent database.11 Injection molding was assumed for the hard plastic pieces (polycarbonate and ABS plastic) and thermoforming for the softer plastics (silicone, polypropylene, and PVC). More immediate levels of waste, however, happen during the processing of disposable razors before they are even brought to the buyer and the landfill. The product fails to include proper instructions for its waste management, causing it to be disposed of, as the name suggests. 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). Gillette Razor Local Recycling Solutions.TerraCycle, www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/gillette-local-recycling. Please try again soon. These containers, mainly wooden pallets and spools, are subject to European legislat 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. Disposable and reusable LMAs typically differ in material composition, packaging, reuse, and cost. After the reusable LMA was washed and dried, it was then placed into a heat seal pouch, made of polypropylene film and paper. 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. 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). What Is Tungsten Carbide or Hard Metal? AZoM.com, 2 Aug. 2009, https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=4827. 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 Environmental Protection Agency classifies DEHP as a probable carcinogen, and as a possible endocrine disrupter.24 The FDA issued an advisory in 2002 recommending steps be taken to reduce the risk of exposure to DEHP in certain populations.25 There is enough evidence of reproductive and developmental toxicant effects from DEHP for the FDA to recommend alternatives for patients deemed at high risk, namely infants, toddlers, and pregnant and lactating women. The Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) is where the impacts on the environment are calculated. 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 . 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. Most tungsten, about 85%, is extracted from various ores in China (Siddle, How Is Tungsten Carbide Formed?). Plastics are cleaned and pelletized to be recycled into new products, such as picnic tables and park benches. International Sympsium on Sustainable Systems and Technology. Manufacturer specifications indicate 20 kWh of electricity use for a 5-minute cycle at 135C. LeBlanc, Rick. One of the materials used is polypropylene, a thermoplastic addition polymer made from the combination of propylene monomers (Creative Mechanisms Staff, creativemechanisms.com). The study found that: 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. Figure: Life Cycle Assessment steps: goal and scope definition, life cycle inventory, life cycle impact assessment and interpretation (Sala et al., 2016) In the goal and scope phase, the aims of the study are defined, namely the intended application, the reasons for carrying out the study and the intended audience. 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. For You for Everyone Registration Document. After the end of their recommended lifetime, reusable LMAs were also placed in municipal solid waste containers. Case Studies. Case Studies : Reducing BIC's Rejection Rates | KEYENCE America, www.keyence.com/solutions/case-studies/bic.jsp. Packaging is an . 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. Kaplan, Desire. 11,772. LCA can be used to compare alternative products, processes or services; compare alternative life cycles for a certain product . The Great Recovery was a project by the RSA working with Innovate UK which ran between 2012 and 2016. 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. They report their waste production being at 340 tons, which represented an increase of 22% from 2015 (Bic). The total amount of indirect emissions was 89,762 tonnes of carbon dioxide (For You For Everyone Registration Document). Ison E, Miller A. LCA for product sustainability. Life cycle assessment software I used GaBi 6 software, produced by PE International. However, the LCA is not an exact science and has its limitations: American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Task Force on Infection Control. The metal that can be used in the cartridge is also cut out during this stage. LCA is a technique to assess the environmental aspects and potential impacts associated with a product, process, or service. 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. A life-cycle assessment or LCA is a 'cradle to grave' analysis of the impact of a manufactured product on the environment. However, because of the new awareness to their wasteful impact on the environment, some companies have begun to provide solutions to the disposable razor issue. Disposable razors are designed for consumers that prefer minimum spending . This makes it an easy and quick method to start the analysis of a product and aid the designer when creating alternative concepts which are more environmentally friendly, because they can clearly identify what areas need improvement and which ones work well already.