Terracycle. Research and Innovative Technology Administration. Overall BIC is an industry leader when it comes to reducing the environmental impact that their disposable products make. The next step is to temper the steel at a temperature of 482-752F (250- 400C) and pressed into thin sheets (Safety Razor, madehow.com). 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. Finally, the razors are packaged in cardboard and plastic, and shipped out to stores and markets globally for customers to purchase and use. Waste is not only a problem when a product is disposed of, but also when it is initially manufactured. h[K#1}\$u@ Recommendations for Infection Control for the Practice of Anesthesiology. 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. This manuscript was handled by: Steven L. Shafer, MD. The powder is then shaped, usually by the process of die stamping. 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. The stability of the plastic components, while necessary for shelf stability and use, takes longer than one persons life-span to decompose. The polypropylene is sorted during recycling using a float test that separates it from other materials based on its ability to float due to its weight, then it is often melted down and reused in other product manufacturing. Kelly, John. It all starts with the melting and combining of the desired metal. LMA Classic Product Specifications, 2011, 10. A Comparison Life Cycle Assessment between Razor Blade and Electric Shaver. Dec. 2012. To make the handle and cartridges, these various plastics are heated together and melted together along with optional colorants and various filler materials. 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. 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. HUO0NpnaJd@"&u[kj-+8=WU\*w)OMYb_ry> 1F3 nyNnb 0 Data is temporarily unavailable. Where material types were unknown, proxies were assumed from relevant literature,2 although more detailed material information from suppliers would permit a more robust analysis. When designing a product for circularity it is often difficult to know where to begin. Ison E, Miller A. When you take your blades in to the scrap metal center, choose the steel recycling bin. 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). 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. Buy Now. LMA North America. Contribution: This author helped conduct the study and analyze the data. The metal used for the razor blades is called Tungsten Carbide which is used in wear applications, such as shaving (Safety Razor). The blade is made from a tungsten steel, and carbon alloy. Rogers, Tony. 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. . BIC Group, 2016, For You For Everyone Registration Document. The blades, which are made from a carbide steel made using tungsten carbide, the handle, which is made from a combination of plastics such as polypropylene, polystyrene, and phenylene oxide (PPO), and the cartridge, which is made up of these plastics and sometimes the carbide steel as well (Safety Razor, madehow.com). 4. 1982, www.nytimes.com/1982/04/11/business/how-bic-lost-the-edge-to-gillette.html. Terracycle is a company that was created to address the issue of recyclable products that often end up in landfills. The reusable LMA was found to have a more favorable environmental profile than the disposable LMA as used at Yale New Haven Hospital. Disposable razors are designed for consumers that prefer minimum spending . 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. 2011, Packaging Technology and Science. Die Basics 101: Intro to Stamping. The Fabricators, 18 July 2018, www.thefabricator.com/thefabricator/article/stamping/die-basics-101-intro-to-stamping. Cargo planes and other transport aircraft use jet fuel which produces 135,000 BTU per gallon (Energy Consumption by Mode of Transportation.). LCAs can be used comparatively to assess different product or service design options or to identify environmental . #4. 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. Nash, Nathaniel C. HOW BIC LOST THE EDGE TO GILLETTE. The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 Apr. After the end of their recommended lifetime, reusable LMAs were also placed in municipal solid waste containers. 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. 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. In this case it was very difficult to see what materials the product contained and exactly how it was manufactured (as the big manufacturing companies wouldnt disclose this information), so some of the data had to be assumed. What Is Polystyrene? The scope of our analysis, as is shown in Figure 1, includes extraction of material and energy resources, manufacturing, packaging and transport from the manufacturing site to the distribution center and the hospital, reprocessing, and eventual disposal. How Is Tungsten Carbide Formed? Chronicle, 20 Aug. 2015, chronicle.kennametal.com/how-is-tungsten-carbide-formed/. Such an analysis is commonly performed using life cycle assessment. Europe, Plastic News. endstream endobj 752 0 obj <>stream Main methodological choices . No such cases have been reported since 1976.a There is no reported case of iatrogenic infection of any type linked to a reusable LMA. The more capital-intensive option of increasing the energy efficiency of the autoclave machines by 10% decreases GHG emissions by 8%. 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 . Experience spanning from the market-leading environment and climate practice of a global top 10 law firm - to leading Europe's largest . 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. In this section we also need to state the assumptions made during the process: Anesth Analg 2012;114:105566, 8. It has been assumed that the only part recycled at the end of life is the packaging. 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. Previous studies have examined the relative environmental profiles of reusables and disposables with regard to medical textiles7 and anesthetic drug trays.8 The present study uses life cycle assessment to evaluate the life cycle impacts of disposable and reusable LMAs across several categories of environmental and human health impacts. 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. 769 0 obj <>stream LCA for product sustainability. Since then, around 60 billion razors have been produced, distributed, and sold worldwide. In this case its the life-cycle of the cartridge-based razor. Siddle, Dave. Once Terracycle has collected the waste, it is: broken down and separated by material. For example, LCA results can tell us if one product is environmentally preferable to another . The environmental effects of labor are often omitted from life cycle assessment studies, but are included here as part of the sensitivity analysis. You Asked, We Answered. Chronicle, 12 June 2015, chronicle.kennametal.com/what-is-tungsten-carbide-you-asked-we-answered/. 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 . Gillette's slogan 'Gillette - the best a man can get' is famous the world over. Address correspondence to Jodi Sherman, MD, Yale University, School of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, 333 Cedar Street, TMP3, New Haven, CT 06520. By raising awareness and creating locations where one can drop off used razors for recycling, perhaps a change can come. During shaving, the sharp edges of the blade will chip off at a slow but steady rate, dulling the blade after repeated shavings. 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. There are only two components for the BIC disposable razors which are the plastic body and razor blade. Chu L, Mathur P, Trudell J, Brock-Utne J. For both environmental and cost considerations, management and operating procedures should be put in place to ensure that reusable LMAs are not discarded prematurely. 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 plastic, however stable for the user, remains stable long after it is thrown away as well. Sherman JD, Ryan S. Ecological responsibility in anesthesia practice. An updated lifecycle assessment for disposable and reusable nappies Report that looks at the effect of disposable and reusable nappies on global warming and other environmental impacts. A life-cycle assessment or LCA is a 'cradle to grave' analysis of the impact of a manufactured product on the environment. 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. A 20-mL disposable syringe was used during device placement to inflate the cuffs of both types of LMAs to ensure proper fit, and a procedure was then performed. BIC says its product beats out other models by 59 percent. Int Anesthesiol Clin 2010;48:139, 24. disposable paper diaper; material recycling; closed-loop recycling; life cycle assessment (LCA) 1. At the end of applying the additives, the blades are once again heated, to cement the coating onto the blade. Applying this method of assessment is complex and difficult and translating the theory into a . 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. Chicago: American Medical Association, 2006, 27. The next step in the process is the assembly of all the parts. We perform Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and Critical Reviews in accordance with ISO 14040/44 for products and services. Life Cycle Impact Assessment is the estimation of indicators of the environmental pressures in terms of e.g. 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.). The cartridge-based razor had a slightly higher impact due to the rubber parts which cant be separated from the plastic body. This practice meets American Society of Anesthesiologists' recommendations for infection control for equipment requiring high-level disinfection.14. 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. Subramaniar Trading Company. Being that it is such a common and quickly replaced product, this is is a major issue in terms of waste. This assessment is exceptionally useful as it shows the designer what areas are the most impactful during the products life cycle. And then there's the water. In phase 3, we evaluate how significant the impacts are. %PDF-1.5 % 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. 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. 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.