Where regulations permit, disposal of LMA-related waste as regular municipal waste, as opposed to biohazardous waste, should also reduce the adverse health effects stemming from medical waste incineration. 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). Direct emissions refer to any emissions that resulted from the burning of fossil fuels and Indirect emissions refer to any emissions that resulted from the generation of electricity. Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link. Bic Disposable Razor (1975). Plastics News Europe, 19 Nov. 2009, www.plasticsnewseurope.com/article/20091119/PNE/311199986/bic-disposable-razor-1975. 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. To create the metal compound, carbon is added to the purified tungsten in a complex chemical process where the materials are heated to over 2,200 degrees celsius. hb```X ea i:=3*?a_.k7#uq-u[JRP erle@@)`EkP;~ cdC58xiv06@Jup E 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. In 2016, Bic reduced packaging for their Soleil Razor by 40%. In this post I havent shown the whole process, but there are downloadable links to my full Eco-Indicator results, and to the template form if youd like to carry out an assessment yourself. 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 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. The results also suggest effective procurement strategies for reducing the impacts of disposable LMAs where they are selected. An estimated 1 L of tap water was used to wash and rinse 1 LMA (or 40 L over a lifetime of 40 uses). 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. LMA Classic Product Specifications, 2011, 10. The EPA has now stopped tracking the: impact of disposable razors on the environment and has no update on the figure (Olsen). 2019, science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/polystyrene-recycling.htm. How One Facility Completely Eliminated the Use of TCE Schick Razor Blade Manufacturing in Knoxville, Tennessee. 2017. 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. Data Uncertainty. All of these software packages and models are in widespread use by life cycle assessment practitioners in the US and internationally. : Uses, Benefits, and Safety Facts. ChemicalSafetyFacts.org, 17 June 2019, www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/polystyrene/. However, by looking at just this one company, there is a sense of the massive amount of direct and indirect emissions from just the making of razors that are thrown away so quickly after use, with an increase annually of users. What Is Polystyrene? The cheap price of the razor does not reflect the high cost of its waste and impact on the environment. 1.Establish the purpose of the Eco-Indicator calculations Ans: (i) Significant growth in industry of super premium segment . Differences in environmental impacts between devices may present a compelling consideration in their selection. The use of LCA to introduce life-cycle thinking into decision-making for the purchase of medical devices in the NHS. SimaPro 7.3.2. It all starts with the melting and combining of the desired metal. E-LCA is a time tested assessment technique that evaluates environmental performance throughout the life cycle of a product or from performing a service. Staff, RT. Using BEES to select cost-effective green products. The stability of the plastic components, while necessary for shelf stability and use, takes longer than one persons life-span to decompose. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a method used to estimate the total environmental impacts from producing a good or service. This break-even point will change depending on the category of environmental impact being considered. A Comparison Life Cycle Assessment between Razor Blade and Electric Shaver. Dec. 2012. Chu L, Mathur P, Trudell J, Brock-Utne J. Lippiatt BC, Boyles AS. 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. You Asked, We Answered. Chronicle, 12 June 2015, chronicle.kennametal.com/what-is-tungsten-carbide-you-asked-we-answered/. The original LMA was a reusable device (Intavent International SA, Henley-on-Thames, UK). The metal is heated to a temperature of 1967-2048 degrees Fahrenheit and tungsten carbide has a specific heat of 0.226 BTU/lb/Fahrenheit (Safety razor). There are some solutions and new recycling ideas, yet, the reduction of waste for disposable razors is still far off. To begin the process of making tungsten carbide, the tungsten must first be extracted. With the amount of waste accumulated from the factories and the bulk of the razors ending up in landfills and oceans, a low price of $1 removes the buyer from how high the cost on the environment a disposable razor is. Such an analysis is commonly performed using life cycle assessment. The LMA, within the heat seal pouch, was then placed in the steam autoclave sterilizing machine (Castle/Getinge MC 3522). Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/cjd/qa_cjd_infection_control.htm. 11 / Piece. 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. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A complete life cycle cost analysis would complement the life cycle assessment results shown here; however, a simple analysis reveals that, assuming full utilization, a $200 reusable LMA costs $5 per use, plus $3 per cleaning for a unit cost of $8, excluding utility and hospital overhead costs. Anesth Analg 1998;87:921, 3. We are proud that it is among the leading professional LCA software . The life cycle of plastics Life cycle assessment (LCA) considers the environmental aspects associated with a product over its lifespan. Approximately 24 L/min of water are used by the autoclave for cooling, for a total of 960 L of water needed to sterilize an LMA 40 times. BIC is a French manufacturing company that produces a variety of disposable consumer products like pens, lighters and disposable razors. Criteria air pollutants arise for the disposable LMA primarily from the production of ethylene (a polymer precursor) and the combustion of natural gas throughout the system, and for the reusable LMA from the combustion of fossil fuels to produce steam and electricity. The autoclave was typically run with 5 LMAs, although loading varied significantly. 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 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. In conclusion, disposable razors are being used and thrown away at a rate that is unsustainable for the finite space on the planet. The authors declare no conflict of interest. These steps are not necessarily conducted in succession, but iteratively. 21 offers from $5.20. Figueredo E. Changes in the intracuff pressure of the laryngeal masks airway caused by repeated use. The most important sources of impacts for the disposable LMA were the production of polymers, packaging, and waste management, whereas for the reusable LMA, washing and sterilization dominated for most impact categories. The fewer LMAs placed in the autoclave, the larger the impacts on GHG emissions and global warming on each individual unit. Chicago: American Medical Association, 2006, 27. Each time the steam autoclave machine conducts a sterilizing cycle, a large amount of energy is used to heat the steam. 2011, Packaging Technology and Science. Marinella Levi. The second component of the razor is the plastic body which is made of a fairly inexpensive plastic called polystyrene. However, of the 2 billion razors disposed of annually, about 32% end up in the ocean (Kaplan). Camera visual inspection is performed and This is all to ensure BICs quality standards are being met and ensure a quality product. Anesth Analg 1993;77:1079, 21. 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). After the end of their recommended lifetime, reusable LMAs were also placed in municipal solid waste containers. The tracking can come from sales, and in 2018 more than $1.2 billion in disposable razors were sold in the U.S., with varying prices but many disposables costing less than $1 each (Olsen). J Clin Anesth 1997;9:432, 20. In addition to traditional criteria for the selection and purchase of medical devices that include safety, efficacy, and cost, 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 product selection 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. In the case of the disposable razor however, it is fairly simple due to its nature. The metal that can be used in the cartridge is also cut out during this stage. The US Environmental Protection Agency's Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and other environmental Impacts (TRACI) life cycle impact assessment method was used to model environmental impacts of greenhouse gases and other pollutant emissions. 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). A combination of transportation methods is used depending on where the product needs to go. 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. Sensor3 disposable razors for men feature an enhanced Lubrastrip with water activated Comfortgel technology for ultra-gentle shaving on your sensitive skin. American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Task Force on Infection Control. A life-cycle inventory of cloth and disposable diapers was conducted based on diapering habits in Canada The parameters evaluated were energy consumption, water consumption, raw materials 15 Crop water use and water use efficiency on irrigated cotton farms in Australia S. Tennakoon, S. Milroy Environmental Science 2003 93 This is shown through their commitment to their eco-design process and new recycling programs that are undergoing testing. Finally, the need for manual labor in the cleaning process of reusable LMAs contributed to the costs of these LMAs. 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. LCA is a technique to assess the environmental aspects and potential impacts associated with a product, process, or service. 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. 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. DEHP leaches out upon exposure to heat and lipids, as would be the case in contact with mucous membranes. Life cycle assessment software I used GaBi 6 software, produced by PE International. 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. Sustainable Development Report. Anesth Analg 2012;114:105566, 8. 2006 have considered a process water flow of 10,000 m3/day for a time period of 15 years (system design life) as the function unit used in order to compare the different wastewater treatment processes . Some error has occurred while processing your request. At the end of applying the additives, the blades are once again heated, to cement the coating onto the blade. The blades are then carefully sharpened to create the razor blades. This is based on our Life Cycle Inventory flows from phase 2. Manufacturing Processes (RAZOR): KAI FACTORY: KAI Group.KAI FACTORY | KAI Group, www.kai-group.com/global/en/kai-factory/process/razor/.