life cycle assessment of disposable razors

Ask a worker if you can put them in the bin by themselves or if they need to be in a recyclable container to protect sanitation workers from being cut. The alternatives are objects made of bio compostable plastic,. to maintaining your privacy and will not share your personal information without Phoenix: IEEE, 2008, 23. The unit cost of disposable LMAs is 20% higher at approximately $9.60 per unit. 8 John Adam Street The Eco-Indicator method is a tool developed to help designers conduct a simplified LCA study. 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. Disposable razors are a product that can be found in almost any average bathroom. To make the handle and cartridges, these various plastics are heated together and melted together along with optional colorants and various filler materials. 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. In their study of Life cycle assessment of wastewater treatment technologies treating petroleum process waters, Vlaopolous et al. With such a fast accumulating waste and slow decomposition rate, there must be changes and incentive for companies to rethink the disposable razor. Life cycle assessment, according to ISO 14040/44, is conducted in four steps [29,30,31]: (1) goal and scope definition, (2) life cycle inventory, (3) life cycle impact assessment, and (4) interpretation. Research and Innovative Technology Administration. Int J Life Cycle Assess 2001;6:7680, 13. 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). 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). Tungsten Carbide. Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Nov. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tungsten_carbide. 15 - 21 Our group recently performed a life cycle assessment of anesthetic drug trays, finding that reusable trays were both environmentally and . Finally, the assessment will be carried out on the new design to assess if it has a lower impact than the other options analysed. 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). What IS Life Cycle Assessment? Overall, while the materials for disposable razors are few, and the products basic design makes it appear simplistic, the products lifecycle is far from simple. 11 / Piece. A Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable Razors. These steps are not necessarily conducted in succession, but iteratively. Disposable razors are designed for consumers that prefer minimum spending . BIC has noted however that they strive to be as efficient with materials used when it comes to their packaging. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a modeling tool for quantifying the environmental impacts of products and processes. 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. Choosing a less-green disposable will magnify your razor's manufacturing impact, but it won't change the overall picture very much. One of their most popular products is the disposable razor, which they started to manufacture in 1975. PurposeIn this study, a life cycle assessment of a bioplastic based diaper was performed. Polycarbonate production (14%), transportation via truck (15%), thermoforming (13%), and waste disposal (11%) cause the majority of the remaining emissions. E-LCA is a time tested assessment technique that evaluates environmental performance throughout the life cycle of a product or from performing a service. Since BICs products do not go to a single location it is impossible to give an exact number for BICs energy usage in transportation. 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). Each manufacturing plant or node in the supply chain is referred to as agate-to-gate (GTG) life cycle inventory. A Life Cycle Assessment is the systematic analysis of the environmental impact of products during their entire life cycle. 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. There are some solutions and new recycling ideas, yet, the reduction of waste for disposable razors is still far off. : Uses, Benefits, and Safety Facts.ChemicalSafetyFacts.org, 17 June 2019, www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/polystyrene/. Anyone can send in razors of any kind, and the plastic and cardboard packaging as well. In 2016, Bic reduced packaging for their Soleil Razor by 40%. But what really goes into making one of these seemingly mundane disposable razors and what happens to it after its tossed in the trash? 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. 1.Establish the purpose of the Eco-Indicator calculations The metal must be mined and extracted from the mountain causing an emission of fossil fuels and greenhouse gases (Wang). Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2011, 16. 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. LMA North America. 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).). 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. An exact number for the energy use for BIC was not obtained. The Potential of Polypropylene.Recycling Today, Recycling Today, 17 July 2019, www.recyclingtoday.com/article/the-recycling-potential-of-polypropylene/. BIC states that it prides itself on producing affordable, safe, and quality razors for its customers worldwide. 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. 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. 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. For me, I had a few extra bits of plastic that I snapped off because they . The processes that contribute to these emissions differ markedly between the 2 LMA devices. The total amount of Direct emissions from BIC factories was 8,689 tonnes of carbon dioxide (For You For Everyone Registration Document). A new incentive must come for companies to be more sustainable with resources and create products that can still be cheap for the buyer, while also not taking a high cost on the environment. We purchase the product in a store, use the product for removing unwanted body and facial hair until it eventually dulls, and then we toss it in the bathroom trash, unaware of where it goes or where it came from. 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?). The EPA has now stopped tracking the: impact of disposable razors on the environment and has no update on the figure (Olsen). Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link. After that, the metal is pressed down to the desired blade thickness which is around 1mm (Manufacturing Processes). The Great Recovery was a project by the RSA working with Innovate UK which ran between 2012 and 2016. 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. J Clin Anesth 1997;9:432, 20. 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. Waste is not only a problem when a product is disposed of, but also when it is initially manufactured. 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). Composition Assumptions for Disposable and Reusable Largyngeal Mask Airways (LMAs). 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). For more information, please refer to our Privacy Policy. In landfilling or incinerating this part, the large amount of energy and material value used in creating it is lost. Accessed 28 Nov. 2019. www.thefabricator.com/thefabricator/article/stamping/die-basics-101-intro-to-stamping, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/08/07/landfill-waste-how-prevent-disposable-razor-plastic-pollution/1943345001/, http://www.greatrecovery.org.uk/resources/3682/, www.plasticsnewseurope.com/article/20091119/PNE/311199986/bic-disposable-razor-1975, www.nytimes.com/1982/04/11/business/how-bic-lost-the-edge-to-gillette.html, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemical-engineering/polyphenylene-oxides, www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-03/documents/ffrrofactsheet_contaminant_tungsten_january2014_final.pdf, www.kai-group.com/global/en/kai-factory/process/razor/, www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/reducing-trichloroethylene-tce-waste-fabricated-metals-sector, www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Safety-Razor.html, www.recyclingtoday.com/article/the-recycling-potential-of-polypropylene/, www.ssab.com/company/sustainability/sustainable-offering/steel-life-cycle?di=discover21C927E58ECC41198B78D915F7E3E2AF, BEHR Oil Based Interior/Exterior Primer and Sealer, California Academy of Sciences Living Roof Life Cycle, UC Davis Social Sciences and Humanities Building, A-Z List for Digital & Electronics Topics. Interpretation of results The last step in the process is to interpret the results and compare them against each other. This LCA is specific for surgical gowns used in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St Paul, Minnesota. Until now, we defined what we want to measure and collect in phase 1. Max Soft Disposable Razor For Women - 3 Pcs In A Pack. Assessing all steps in that life cycle provides insight into individual stresses and burden shifts from one step to another and enables understanding of both the cumulative environmental impacts and related trade-offs in each area, throughout the lifespan of both a facility and its manufactured products. After getting the sharpened blade they are coated with a thin film to allows them to not lose sharpness after only a few shaves (Manufacturing Processes). The Bic USAs company website provides information about the making of the razors in the factories, regarding their inspection and factory standards, yet there is no mention for the environmental impact of the disposal. 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). Current LMA procurement decisions are typically based on perceived costs. `""(w In phase 3, we evaluate how significant the impacts are. An estimated 1 L of tap water was used to wash and rinse 1 LMA (or 40 L over a lifetime of 40 uses). 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). My next blog post will show some design recommendations using sketches and 3D-printed prototypes. Policy H-135.945: Encouraging Alternatives to PVC/DEHP Products in Health. Contact Supplier. Complete with an ergonomic shaped non-slip rubber handle for great control and maneuverability and easy rinse blades for 100% better rinsing (vs . On the basis of such criteria, single-use disposable medical devices are increasingly supplanting reusable devices in the United States (US) and elsewhere.1 Although purchase and maintenance costs for disposable devices are perceived to be less than for reusables, this fails to account for indirect costs to society from the environmental impacts attributable to the entire life cycle of a device. 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/. There are only two components for the BIC disposable razors which are the plastic body and razor blade. Though technicians are paid regardless of whether they are cleaning LMAs or are performing some other task, these wages are nonetheless assigned to the reusable LMA on the basis of time spent. Disposable razors are made up of three components: a hollowed plastic handle, the razor blade, and the plastic head of the razor that holds the blade (Safety Razor). Disposable Razors in Bulk, Bulk Razors with Knife Caps, Individually Packaged Disposable Razors Bulk, Suitable for Hotels, Shelters, Homeless People, Nursing Homes, Charities, Churches (60) 4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars (9) $22.39 $ 22. However, we can discuss the energy usage of different modes of transportation. Please enable scripts and reload this page. The GTG LCIs are added together to give a cradle-to-gate (CTG) life cycle inventory . hb```X ea i:=3*?a_.k7#uq-u[JRP erle@@)`EkP;~ cdC58xiv06@Jup E After the plastic body is manufactured it goes through inspections similar to ones the blades go through. 3. 2 offers from $9.92. Once in the landfill, it usually takes around 20-30 years to breakdown. What Is Polystyrene? Rogers, Tony. 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. According to studies done by the EPA, tungsten steel was originally tested as a stable metal in soil that does not dissolve easily in water (EPA). Product Ecology (PR) Consultants. Contribution: This author helped design the study and prepare the manuscript. Research about tungsten is ongoing and includes health effects and risks, degradation processes and an inventory of its use in the defense industry as a substitute for lead-based munitions (EPA). Disposable BIC razors are hollow and made using injection molding, but making the razors hollow is only possible because of the fluid nature of polystyrene (The Bic Razor, Still the Sharpest of the Bunch.). The second component of the razor is the plastic body which is made of a fairly inexpensive plastic called polystyrene. We purchase the product in a store, use the product for removing unwanted body and facial hair until it eventually dulls, and then we toss it in the bathroom trash, unaware of where it goes or where it came from. Contribution: This author helped design the study, analyze the data, and prepare the manuscript. Safety Razor. How Products Are Made, www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Safety-Razor.html. 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. Innovative and strategic advisor to leading philanthropies, corporates, governments, international institutions and NGOs. In conclusion, disposable razors are being used and thrown away at a rate that is unsustainable for the finite space on the planet. Then we collected and structured the data in phase 2. 769 0 obj <>stream 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 The disposable LMA consisted largely of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, and the reusable LMA consisted primarily of silicone. Weissman, Alexander, et al. CASE STUDY ANALYSIS - CLEAN EDGE, NON DISPOSABLE RAZOR Q1. 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.

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