The number of times an LMA is reused is a particularly uncertain assumption, because there have been reports of premature disposal.16 Use in excess of the manufacturer recommended 40 times has also been reported,17 and 100 to 200 uses appears to be possible with proper handling and preuse checks.1821 Here, 10, 20, 30, 60, 80, and 100 cycles are considered as alternative assumptions. Pollution of the oceans from plastics has become an increasingly large issue that researchers are still assessing. This is shown through their commitment to their eco-design process and new recycling programs that are undergoing testing. Figueredo E. Changes in the intracuff pressure of the laryngeal masks airway caused by repeated use. The environmental effects of labor are often omitted from life cycle assessment studies, but are included here as part of the sensitivity analysis. Disposable and reusable LMAs typically differ in material composition, packaging, reuse, and cost. 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 life of a typical razor blade is not an easy one. A combination of transportation methods is used depending on where the product needs to go. 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. LCA for product sustainability. 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. Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2011, 16. 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). Composition Assumptions for Disposable and Reusable Largyngeal Mask Airways (LMAs). Each year in Italy, millions of tons of fruits and vegetables are harvested, packed and transported to national and foreign retail outlets. Int Anesthesiol Clin 2010;48:139, 24. Address e-mail to [emailprotected]. a 4.1% (Bic). This assessment is exceptionally useful as it shows the designer what areas are the most impactful during the products life cycle. Being that it is such a common and quickly replaced product, this is is a major issue in terms of waste. 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 . But this is expected from a large brand like Gillette. Overcash M. Comparison of reusable and disposable medical textiles. GaBi is a LCA software that allows its users to connect environmental impacts to a product across its lifespan. A life-cycle assessment or LCA is a 'cradle to grave' analysis of the impact of a manufactured product on the environment. In conclusion, disposable razors are being used and thrown away at a rate that is unsustainable for the finite space on the planet. You Asked, We Answered. Chronicle, 12 June 2015, chronicle.kennametal.com/what-is-tungsten-carbide-you-asked-we-answered/. 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. In their study of Life cycle assessment of wastewater treatment technologies treating petroleum process waters, Vlaopolous et al. Please enable scripts and reload this page. RSA The blade is made from a tungsten steel, and carbon alloy. 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. Manufacturer specifications indicate 20 kWh of electricity use for a 5-minute cycle at 135C. 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). 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. BIC Group, 2016, Sustainable Development Report. Eckelman, Matthew PhD*; Mosher, Margo; Gonzalez, Andres; Sherman, Jodi MD. Redesigning the Razor Life Cycle Assessment. The Great Recovery, http://www.greatrecovery.org.uk/resources/3682/. 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. 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. LCA's are completed particularly in relation to how to develop a sustainable world where less waste and more reuse is implemented. 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. 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. Metal materials are sent for smelting and conversion to new alloys (Terracycle). After the reusable LMA was washed and dried, it was then placed into a heat seal pouch, made of polypropylene film and paper. BIC has reported their total energy usage and carbon footprint in their factories around the world, this was all however for the year 2016. Chicago: American Medical Association, 2006, 27. 3.Quantify the materials and processes The use of LCA to introduce life-cycle thinking into decision-making for the purchase of medical devices in the NHS. The 1% of the material that is recycled however, goes through a 5 step recycling process which is collecting, sorting, cleaning, reprocessing, and producing new products. Once extracted, the tungsten is then shipped to a desired location for it to be manufactured into the metal compound. It has been assumed that the packaging contains cardboard, even though it has been made from other natural fibres like bamboo, as there is no info on those materials in the Eco-Indicator tables. An exact number for the energy use for BIC was not obtained. 769 0 obj <>stream At the end of applying the additives, the blades are once again heated, to cement the coating onto the blade. Anaesth Intensive Care 2010;38:538, 9. The LMAs were first rinsed in tap water, scrubbed externally with a Hibiclens sponge and internally with a small scrub brush, and rinsed again. Despite its ability to be recycled, it often ends up in the landfill as many people dont know how to properly recycle it, people are too lazy to recycle, or the plastics arent labeled properly (Polypropylene. Wikipedia). 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. Gillette Plastic Disposable Shaving Kit supermax, for Hotel. Terracycle. Case Studies. Case Studies : Reducing BIC's Rejection Rates | KEYENCE America, www.keyence.com/solutions/case-studies/bic.jsp. 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. 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. The majority (77%) of life cycle CO2e emissions for the reusable LMA is from natural gas production and combustion to produce steam for the autoclave machine. 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.. 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. EPA. 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). Wang, Chun Tsin, and Alexander Sutulor. LMA North America. J Clin Anesth 1997;9:432, 20. Zhang TW, Dornfeld DA. Two Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) methodologies were employed using SimaPro software 51,52 to calculate the environmental impacts of manufacturing both the plastic and compostable coffee . WC2N 6EZ, Redesigning the razor Life Cycle Assessment. The biggest impact during the cartridge-based razor life-cycle is manufacturing the cartridge as this is the part which is hardest to make. By far, the biggest impact during the manufacturing of the razors was the 17 spot welds done in each cartridge. BIC currently holds around 11 percent market share in disposable razors (Nash). 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 . This is where most of the complexity of an LCA is involved. Polypropylene. Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Nov. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polypropylene. The Eco-Indicator method is a tool developed to help designers conduct a simplified LCA study. Until now, we defined what we want to measure and collect in phase 1. The final product is then gathered and prepared to go through the final step which is the packaging of razors. Not all form of impacts are valued the same, so the ones with the largest impact should be tackled first in order to produce the maximum overall improvement. A life cycle assessment or analysis according to ISO 14040/14044 is an instrument of environmental and sustainability management. From:. 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).). 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. "Tungsten Processing." 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 long and harmful life-cycle of disposable razors is not reflected to the buyer browsing aisles of fully stocked razor shelves. Sensitivity and simple life cycle cost analyses were conducted to aid in interpretation of the results. 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 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. use/disposable and multiple-use/washable surgical gowns. 8 John Adam Street The metal must be mined and extracted from the mountain causing an emission of fossil fuels and greenhouse gases (Wang). Alternate assumptions were used to test model sensitivity and to create bounds to aid interpretation of the results (Table 2). These results will then be used to inform the design process and improve the redesigned razor. Park Ridge, IL: American Society of Anesthesiologists, 1999, 15. 39 ($0.37/Count) FREE delivery Thu, Mar 2 on $25 of items shipped by Amazon. Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for 2010. 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). Complete with an ergonomic shaped non-slip rubber handle for great control and maneuverability and easy rinse blades for 100% better rinsing (vs . Materials were matched with appropriate life cycle inventory records from the ecoinvent database.11 Injection molding was assumed for the hard plastic pieces (polycarbonate and ABS plastic) and thermoforming for the softer plastics (silicone, polypropylene, and PVC). 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. BIC says its product beats out other models by 59 percent. Manufacturing Processes (RAZOR): KAI FACTORY: KAI Group.KAI FACTORY | KAI Group, www.kai-group.com/global/en/kai-factory/process/razor/. Comparison of the single use and reusable intubating laryngeal mask airway. : Uses, Benefits, and Safety Facts, ChemicalSafetyFacts.org,). Some error has occurred while processing your request. The metal is then quenched in water to bring it to -76 to -112 degrees Fahrenheit to harden the material (Safety Razor). Since then, around 60 billion razors have been produced, distributed, and sold worldwide. Recommendations for Infection Control for the Practice of Anesthesiology. Several waste management scenarios were also considered, including 100% landfilling and 100% incineration, because practices are highly location dependent. Subramaniar Trading Company. Life cycle assessment is a "cradle-to-grave" approach for determining the financial and environmental costs of a product over its entire life. Life cycle assessment software I used GaBi 6 software, produced by PE International. The plastic handle and head of the disposable razor consists of a hybrid of polypropylene, polystyrene, and phenylene oxide, also known as PPO. At an average of 10 reuse cycles, GHG impacts increase by >50%, and this is the break-even point at which the GHG emissions from reusable and disposable LMAs are essentially equal. After that, the metal is pressed down to the desired blade thickness which is around 1mm (Manufacturing Processes). 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. 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. 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. Biron, Michel. These are the reasons why I will carry out an Eco-Indicator Assessment instead of a full LCA. 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. BIC has noted however that they strive to be as efficient with materials used when it comes to their packaging. Finally, the razors are packaged in cardboard and plastic, and shipped out to stores and markets globally for customers to purchase and use. Premature disposal of reusable LMAs has significant environmental impacts (as well as costs, discussed below). There are three main components in a disposable razor. A Life Cycle Assessment is the systematic analysis of the environmental impact of products during their entire life cycle. Disposable razors are designed for consumers that prefer minimum spending . The life cycle assessment results shown here allow clinicians and health care administrators to understand the balance between direct benefits of a given LMA choice to local patient care and the environmental and human health impacts of that choice that occur far from the operating room. To begin the process of creating the metal, the tungsten is purified and ground into a fine powder. Redesigning the Razor Life Cycle Assessment.The Great Recovery, www.greatrecovery.org.uk/resources/3682/. It is resistant to fats and almost all organic solvents which helps it hold up in the damp and warm conditions of a bathroom and shower (Polypropylene. Wikipedia.org). They have also reduced shipping time, by only sending the blades from Greece to Mexico to optimize the tools and products available in each location, instead of having all the materials shipped to each factory. DEHP leaches out upon exposure to heat and lipids, as would be the case in contact with mucous membranes. The studies have not found it to be harmful to drinking water, or public safety, however, it is an ongoing research of soil data that continues. Innovative and strategic advisor to leading philanthropies, corporates, governments, international institutions and NGOs. To compile a detailed life cycle inventory of the environmental burdens In order to carry out the Eco-Indicator analysis method, the methodology described below has to be followed: What Is Tungsten Carbide or Hard Metal? AZoM.com, 2 Aug. 2009, https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=4827. There is also an additional resin called fluorine resin that is applied to the blades, which allows them to freely glide on the skin. 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. Polycarbonate production (14%), transportation via truck (15%), thermoforming (13%), and waste disposal (11%) cause the majority of the remaining emissions. Biro P. Damage to laryngeal masks during sterilization. The main causes of the reusable LMA's environmental impacts are the steam used in the autoclave sterilizing machine and, to a lesser extent, the wastewater generated from washing the LMAs. This break-even point will change depending on the category of environmental impact being considered. For waste management, switching from 100% incineration to 100% landfilling typically reduced impacts across all categories by 5%10%, with the national average scenario results decreasing in between. A Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable Razors. 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. 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. Introduction Paper diapers are roughly divided into two types: those for infants and those for adults.
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