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. 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. 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). Buy Now. The alloy must allow for easy manufacturing due to the high demand of disposable razors and enough strength to last through transportation and shelf holding. What Is Polystyrene? The long and harmful life-cycle of disposable razors is not reflected to the buyer browsing aisles of fully stocked razor shelves. Click the image for pricing & more info. This means, of the 2 billion razors disposed of annually within the United States, each razor will be on the planet longer than the people who used them. The EPA has now stopped tracking the: impact of disposable razors on the environment and has no update on the figure (Olsen). The biggest impact during the cartridge-based razor life-cycle is manufacturing the cartridge as this is the part which is hardest to make. 1982, www.nytimes.com/1982/04/11/business/how-bic-lost-the-edge-to-gillette.html. There are some solutions and new recycling ideas, yet, the reduction of waste for disposable razors is still far off. Part of this responsible shipping mentality forces them to change their packaging to be able to ship more at a time. The backbone of LCA is the life cycle inventory (LCI), an analysis of material and energy ows resulting from all phases of the product life cycle. In landfilling or incinerating this part, the large amount of energy and material value used in creating it is lost. Gillette Razor Local Recycling Solutions.TerraCycle, www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/gillette-local-recycling. 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. The carbon footprint reported was separated into two sections which are direct and indirect emissions. (i)What changes occurring in non-disposable Razor category? In 2016, Bic reduced packaging for their Soleil Razor by 40%. 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. For more information, please refer to our Privacy Policy. However, the viability of the disposable razor is always thrown into question because of the sheer amount of resources that it expends. 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. Encyclopaedia Brittanica, Encyclopaedia Brittanica, Inc., 26 Sept. 2012, www.britannica.com/technology/tungsten-processing#ref82029. How Is Tungsten Carbide Formed? Chronicle, 20 Aug. 2015, chronicle.kennametal.com/how-is-tungsten-carbide-formed/. When the devices entered use at Yale New Haven Hospital, both the disposable and the reusable LMAs were removed from their original packaging, which was discarded. The metal used for the razor blades is called Tungsten Carbide which is used in wear applications, such as shaving (Safety Razor). 4.Complete the form 748 0 obj <> endobj 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. The Nation's Freight: U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. When designing a product for circularity it is often difficult to know where to begin. Saudi J Anaesth 2008;2:58. Properties: Tungsten Carbide-An Overview. AZoM.com, 25 Nov. 2019, www.azom.com/properties.aspx?ArticleID=1203. There are 3 key tasks in this step. 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). The blade is made from a tungsten steel, and carbon alloy. Safety Razor.How Products Are Made, www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Safety-Razor.html. The EPA has said in their 2014 report: Currently, little information is available about the fate and transport of tungsten in the environment and its effects on human health. Phoenix: IEEE, 2008, 23. Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link. Policy H-135.945: Encouraging Alternatives to PVC/DEHP Products in Health. Gillette Plastic Disposable Shaving Kit supermax, for Hotel. 1. Overall BIC is an industry leader when it comes to reducing the environmental impact that their disposable products make. Can J Anaesth 2001;48:40912, 22. But this is expected from a large brand like Gillette. The fewer LMAs placed in the autoclave, the larger the impacts on GHG emissions and global warming on each individual unit. Comparison of disposable and reusable laryngeal mask airways in spontaneously ventilating adult patients. 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. Premature disposal of reusable LMAs has significant environmental impacts (as well as costs, discussed below). BIC reported that the weight of one of their most popular disposable razors is 8.8 grams (Shavers). Tungsten Carbide. Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Nov. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tungsten_carbide. We are proud that it is among the leading professional LCA software . Poly(Phenylene Oxide). The Polymer Science Learning Center, www.pslc.ws/macrog/ppo.htm. 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. Disposable razors are a product that can be found in almost any average bathroom. Complete with an ergonomic shaped non-slip rubber handle for great control and maneuverability and easy rinse blades for 100% better rinsing (vs . 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 It all starts with the melting and combining of the desired metal. 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). This means that it takes around 1 BTU to heat a 0.035-ounce razor blade to the desired temperature (Julabo et.al). An LCA is an accounting of the inputs and outputs for a product system, beginning with extraction of raw materials from the earth and continuing through all of the steps of transportation, manufacturing, product fabrication, product use, and end-of-life, which may include reuse, recycling . There are three main materials used in the plastic handle and the cartridge of the disposable razor. Poly(p-Phenylene Oxide). Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Sept. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poly(p-phenylene_oxide). xTkJ((5:Ome\%{yIlka;K=1 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). What does a business area's assessment of agreements, income, and value implicate? 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 . Pollution of the oceans from plastics has become an increasingly large issue that researchers are still assessing. These containers, mainly wooden pallets and spools, are subject to European legislat 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. Anesthesia & Analgesia114(5):1067-1072, May 2012. Individually autoclaving the reusable LMA (because of stock shortages, for example) increased life cycle GHG emissions by >400%, whereas loading with 10 LMAs per cycle decreased emissions by nearly 25%. CASE STUDY ANALYSIS - CLEAN EDGE, NON DISPOSABLE RAZOR Q1. 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). E.P.A. disposable paper diaper; material recycling; closed-loop recycling; life cycle assessment (LCA) 1. Thomas, G.P. Recommendations for Infection Control for the Practice of Anesthesiology. Julabo Gmbh, et al. 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 disposable LMA consisted largely of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, and the reusable LMA consisted primarily of silicone. The more capital-intensive option of increasing the energy efficiency of the autoclave machines by 10% decreases GHG emissions by 8%. In this life cycle breakdown, I will be discussing what materials go into the making of disposable razors and what processes the materials go through in the operation of making a disposable razor. By raising awareness and creating locations where one can drop off used razors for recycling, perhaps a change can come. The indirect emissions were mostly from the electricity use in the factories. In their study of Life cycle assessment of wastewater treatment technologies treating petroleum process waters, Vlaopolous et al. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/cjd/qa_cjd_infection_control.htm. These are the reasons why I will carry out an Eco-Indicator Assessment instead of a full LCA. 3.7.Product Life Cycle Analysis . 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 Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable and Reusable Nappies in the UK Ref: ISBN 1844324273, LIT 2080 PDF, 1.83 MB, 203 pages This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.. The product has several innovative elements, due to the implementation of eco-design principles, such as: (1) introduction of biopolymers (namely polylactic acid (PLA) and Mater-bi), (2) relevant . 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. To go from raw materials to final product involves many steps and heavy energy input. 0 8tZ Each razor can last up to 12 gentle shaves. This assessment is exceptionally useful as it shows the designer what areas are the most impactful during the products life cycle. 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). The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. The life of a typical razor blade is not an easy one. This is the fourth installment in a series of blogs in which weexplore how to design a product for circularity. The buyer online is not exposed to the long lasting waste of the razors after they are thrown out. However, we can discuss the energy usage of different modes of transportation. The Fate of the Disposable Razor.Industrial Equipment News (IEN), 7 Aug. 2019, www.ien.com/product-development/news/21081402/the-fate-of-the-disposable-razor. Williams S, Henderson K. A survey into the number of times laryngeal masks are used. The Great Recovery was a project by the RSA working with Innovate UK which ran between 2012 and 2016. 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. The human-health-related impact categories are pertinent to those developing standards for the delivery of health care. Contrary to common expectation, hair is actually pretty hard. This is based on our Life Cycle Inventory flows from phase 2. McGain F, McAlister S, McGavin A, Story D. The financial and environmental costs of reusable and single-use plastic anaesthetic drug trays. In addition, the impact categories of eutrophication (growth of microorganisms due to excess nutrients) and terrestrial ecotoxicity reflect the impacts on other species and ecosystems and have implications for public health. All of these equipment-related cases occurred before the routine implementation of sterilization procedures currently used in health care facilities. Such an analysis is commonly performed using life cycle assessment. On the basis of manufacturer information and density testing, the materials used in the 2 LMAs were identified and their compositions measured using a microgram scale (Table 1).
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