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 use of disposable razors is unsustainable with our growing population and increased demand. Polypropylene is recyclable with the resin code of 5, which is its numbered identification code that is used to identify what resins plastic products are made of, and indicate how they are recycled. How Does Polystyrene Recycling Work?HowStuffWorks Science, HowStuffWorks, 4 Apr. Wages are then spent on food, entertainment, transport, and other economic activities that themselves have environmental impacts. Ison E, Miller A. These few simple materials go through processes of heating, cooling, moulding, cutting, and sharpening throughout their manufacturing process to eventually become the handle, razor blades, and blade cartridge, that will then be assembled to become a disposable razor. Life-cycle assessment stages BIC reported that every year around 2.6 billion of their razors are chosen by consumers every year (Shaver's). For climate change impacts specifically, the reusable LMA contributes 7.4 kg CO2e of GHGs over its life cycle, and the equivalent 40 disposable LMAs contribute 11.3 kg CO2e, or approximately the equivalent to burning a gallon (4 L) of gasoline. The largest sources of both cancer and noncancer impacts for the reusable LMA are from emissions from waste management (35%), the mining and production of metals to build wastewater treatment infrastructure (25%), and the bleaching of packaging paper and the card insert (20%). Zhang TW, Dornfeld DA. A Life Cycle Assessment of Reusable and Single-Use Central V - LWW 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. In their study of Life cycle assessment of wastewater treatment technologies treating petroleum process waters, Vlaopolous et al. These containers, mainly wooden pallets and spools, are subject to European legislat Safety Razor. How Products Are Made www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Safety-Razor.html. 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. Data is temporarily unavailable. What's the greenest way to shave? - Slate Magazine What Is Polystyrene? The mixed plastics used in most of the razor take hundreds of years to break down in landfill, and the blades, while the metal is recyclable if separated from the rest of the product, poses a safety hazard for both the consumer and the employees who handle recyclables. Most tungsten, about 85%, is extracted from various ores in China (Siddle, How Is Tungsten Carbide Formed?). Reusable LMA cleaning was observed to proceed as follows. However, the LCA is not an exact science and has its limitations: 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. Features Downloads. 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. 769 0 obj <>stream Contribution: This author helped conduct the study and analyze the data. However, of the 2 billion razors disposed of annually, about 32% end up in the ocean (Kaplan). Julabo Gmbh, et al. 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. The LMAs were first rinsed in tap water, scrubbed externally with a Hibiclens sponge and internally with a small scrub brush, and rinsed again. The metal is then quenched in water to bring it to -76 to -112 degrees Fahrenheit to harden the material (Safety Razor). (PDF) A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable - academia.edu In the case of the disposable razor however, it is fairly simple due to its nature. Life cycle analysis takes into account the following categories: Energy consumption Water consumption Air emissions (including carbon dioxide and other global warming gases) Water emissions Generation of solid waste Life Cycle Assessment of Reusable and Disposable Cleanroom Coveralls Considering human health concerns, the majority (60%) of impacts for the disposable LMA is due to the production of polymers, PVC in particular, with emissions from incineration contributing another 15%. 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. Reusable LMAs in general appear to be made largely of silicone, lacking these same concerns for PVC/DEHP. . Recommendations for Infection Control for the Practice of Anesthesiology. All of which provides an easy user experience, but, takes a toll on the planet. How Long Will It Take That Bag of Trash to Decompose in a Landfill?The Balance Small Business, The Balance Small Business, 22 Oct. 2019, www.thebalancesmb.com/how-long-does-it-take-garbage-to-decompose-2878033#plastic-waste. 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. The study found that: The carbon footprint reported was separated into two sections which are direct and indirect emissions. Most of those razors just end up in a landfill because most countries are not recycling them. Staff, RT. 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 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. For both environmental and cost considerations, management and operating procedures should be put in place to ensure that reusable LMAs are not discarded prematurely. E-LCA is a time tested assessment technique that evaluates environmental performance throughout the life cycle of a product or from performing a service. xTkJ((5:Ome\%{yIlka;K=1 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. LeBlanc, Rick. This is because of the complexity of the life cycle, from the acquisition of materials to the management of a product at the end of its life. 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. The extraction and consumption of resources (including energy), as well as releases to air, water, and soil, are quantified throughout all stages. 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. The fewer LMAs placed in the autoclave, the larger the impacts on GHG emissions and global warming on each individual unit. Rogers, Tony. Once in the landfill, it usually takes around 20-30 years to breakdown. Technical Fact Sheet-Tungsten.Technical Fact Sheet- Tungsten, EPA, Jan. 2014, www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-03/documents/ffrrofactsheet_contaminant_tungsten_january2014_final.pdf. Poly(p-Phenylene Oxide). Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Sept. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poly(p-phenylene_oxide). Terracycle is a company that was created to address the issue of recyclable products that often end up in landfills. Manufacturer specifications indicate 20 kWh of electricity use for a 5-minute cycle at 135C. The majority of eutrophication impacts from disposable LMAs are from deposition of nitrogen oxide particulates from electricity generation and waste incineration, and impacts for the reusable LMA are nearly all from wastewater used in the cleaning process. 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. Polyphenylene Oxides.Polyphenylene Oxides - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics, 2013, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemical-engineering/polyphenylene-oxides. 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. 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. Life Cycle Assessment of Compostable Coffee Pods: A US - Nature Choosing models that use alternate materials is recommended, particularly because the American Medical Association is urging hospitals and health systems to reduce their use of PVC products, especially those containing DEHP.26 The shipment of LMAs by air also greatly increased overall impacts, pointing to a strategy of bulk ordering from local distributors well in advance of use, and avoiding overnight shipment whenever possible. Marinella Levi. The authors declare no conflict of interest. Contribution: This author helped design the study, analyze the data, and prepare the manuscript. Anesthesia & Analgesia114(5):1067-1072, May 2012. An exact number for the energy use for BIC was not obtained. Staff, Creative Mechanisms. Disposable razors are created for a short user time, and an easy answer to the growing populations fast paced lifestyles and needs for shaving: they are primarily designed to be simple, economical, and disposable (Safety Razor). McGain F, McAlister S, McGavin A, Story D. The financial and environmental costs of reusable and single-use plastic anaesthetic drug trays. This LCA is specific for surgical gowns used in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St Paul, Minnesota. Plastics are cleaned and pelletized to be recycled into new products, such as picnic tables and park benches. The total energy consumption of the Babyplast in its four-step molding cycle of setup, fill, cool, and reset was approximately 4.5 kilowatts (Weissman et.al). This is done on an assembly line by the robotic arm the inserts the razor blade into the small crevices in the plastic body. There is uncertainty in several model assumptions. PDF A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Compostable and Reusable Takeout 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). 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. 8 John Adam Street 3. 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. 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. The majority of life cycle human health impacts of disposable LMAs are caused by PVC use in packaging and the device itself. How One Facility Completely Eliminated the Use of TCE Schick Razor Blade Manufacturing in Knoxville, Tennessee. 2017. In life cycle assessment, the basis of comparison is called the functional unit. For this report, the functional unit of the disposable and reusable LMAs was taken to be maintenance of airway patency by 40 disposable LMAs or 40 uses of 1 reusable LMA. On the Venus Gillette company website, they provide the buyer with a guide for choosing which razor is best by asking: When it comes to choosing a razor, how do you know if a disposable or reusable razor is right for you? (What's the Difference Between Disposable and Reusable Razors for Women? Venus)This question, however, only affects the buyers short usage time, and does not provide any information as to the rest of the razors life-cycle after they are ready for a new razor blade and they: throw away the entire razor and grab a new one as recommended by the manufacturer (Venus). BIC states that it prides itself on producing affordable, safe, and quality razors for its customers worldwide. BIC put out a report detailing how they deal with the waste from their factories. 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. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Recycling of Polypropylene (PP). AZoCleantech.com, 25 June 2012, www.azocleantech.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=240. hbbd``b`z$k@D The metal must be mined and extracted from the mountain causing an emission of fossil fuels and greenhouse gases (Wang). Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a modeling tool for quantifying the environmental impacts of products and processes. 6,474. 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. The following document provides an introductory overview of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and describes the general uses and major components of LCA. The hardest part of this whole process is the data gathering. Finally, the razors are packaged in cardboard and plastic, and shipped out to stores and markets globally for customers to purchase and use. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a methodology to assess the environmental impacts of a product or service throughout its life - from raw material extraction, manufacture and use, to end-of-life disposal, recycling or reuse. This is the fourth installment in a series of blogs in which weexplore how to design a product for circularity. There are various ways that the product can get there. Nash, Nathaniel C. HOW BIC LOST THE EDGE TO GILLETTE. The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 Apr. On the basis of observation at Yale New Haven Hospital, it takes approximately 10 minutes to conduct all cleaning processes for 1 LMA, which is equivalent to roughly $3 in wages. The Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) is where the impacts on the environment are calculated. Everything You Need To Know About Polystyrene (PS).Everything You Need To Know About Polystyrene (PS), www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/polystyrene-ps-plastic.
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