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. This LCA is specific for surgical gowns used in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St Paul, Minnesota. What does a business area's assessment of agreements, income, and value implicate? Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) Hazard Summary. 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. 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. This liquid material is then injected into moulds, or extruded through moulds, where it will cool and take the form of the desired cartridge and handle shape. One of the materials used is polypropylene, a thermoplastic addition polymer made from the combination of propylene monomers (Creative Mechanisms Staff, creativemechanisms.com). 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). For example, LCA results can tell us if one product is environmentally preferable to another . The authors declare no conflict of interest. Disposable and reusable LMAs typically differ in material composition, packaging, reuse, and cost. Safety Razor. How Products Are Made, www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Safety-Razor.html. Because of its high stability, PPO is a very widely used plastic for many different household items. Manufacturing Processes (RAZOR): KAI FACTORY: KAI Group.KAI FACTORY | KAI Group, www.kai-group.com/global/en/kai-factory/process/razor/. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Solid Waste Management Consultants 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 . Properties: Tungsten Carbide-An Overview. AZoM.com, 25 Nov. 2019, www.azom.com/properties.aspx?ArticleID=1203. 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. SimaPro is our flagship product: life cycle assessment software that gives sustainability experts, product designers and decision-makers the power to gain insight into the environmental performance of products and services, to define hotspots and to drive positive change. Data Uncertainty. BIC has noted however that they strive to be as efficient with materials used when it comes to their packaging. These steps are not necessarily conducted in succession, but iteratively. Comparison of the single use and reusable intubating laryngeal mask airway. Sensitivity and simple life cycle cost analyses were conducted to aid in interpretation of the results. 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. The unit cost of disposable LMAs is 20% higher at approximately $9.60 per unit. Highly effective in driving partnerships, public policies and projects that accelerate the shift towards a sustainable built environment. a 4.1% (Bic). . The effect of alternate transport modes was quite small for the reusable LMA but quite significant for the disposable LMAs, leading to a large increase in GHG emissions in particular from air freight. In conclusion, disposable razors are being used and thrown away at a rate that is unsustainable for the finite space on the planet. McGain F, McAlister S, McGavin A, Story D. The financial and environmental costs of reusable and single-use plastic anaesthetic drug trays. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) explained - PR Sustainability your express consent. Gillette Mach3 Men's Disposable Razor for Sensitive Skin - Best Cartridge Razor for Sensitive Skin. Weissman, Alexander, et al. 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). Despite manufacturer-recommended cleaning processes, and various modifications thereof, proteinaceous material may remain on reusable LMAs.27 Of particular concern, these residues may expose patients to prions causing transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, CreutzfeldtJakob disease. 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. Flying staff to meetings, shipping, and distributing the product is the highest offender for the planet. use/disposable and multiple-use/washable surgical gowns. The specific type or blend of plastic for BIC razors is used is called polystyrene (Europe). To compile a detailed life cycle inventory of the environmental burdens Its aim is a comprehensive analysis of the environmental impact of products and services. Ison E, Miller A. Overcash M. Comparison of reusable and disposable medical textiles. 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. Because the human health impacts of the disposable LMAs are dominated by plastics, increasing the amount of PVC by 10% leads to a significant (>5%) increase in cancer and noncancer effects. 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. Overview. Life Cycle Assessment: Biopharma SUTs - BioProcess Several waste management scenarios were also considered, including 100% landfilling and 100% incineration, because practices are highly location dependent. 3 Ways to Recycle Safety Razor Blades - wikiHow Life Europe, Plastic News. 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. How Does Polystyrene Recycling Work?HowStuffWorks Science, HowStuffWorks, 4 Apr. endstream endobj 749 0 obj <>/Metadata 40 0 R/Pages 746 0 R/StructTreeRoot 63 0 R/Type/Catalog>> endobj 750 0 obj <>/MediaBox[0 0 612 792]/Parent 746 0 R/Resources<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI]>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/Tabs/S/Type/Page>> endobj 751 0 obj <>stream The largest source of GHG emissions for the disposable LMAs (23%) is the production and polymerization of PVC, the main material constituent. Disposable razors are a product that can be found in almost any average bathroom. 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.9 Data collection was specific to Yale New Haven Hospital, including device transportation, cleaning procedures and labor, energy requirements, and disposal. The purpose of this assessment is to compare two different types of razors: cartridge based vs. double edge safety razor. 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). Gathering all the data for the LCA is the most difficult part of the task, and normally assumptions have to be made where its impossible to gather all the knowledge required, thus not all the relevant impacts are considered. 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 It all starts with the melting and combining of the desired metal. 3.7.Product Life Cycle Analysis . Energy Consumption by Mode of Transportation. Energy Consumption by Mode of Transportation | Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, www.bts.gov/content/energy-consumption-mode-transportation. The stability of the plastic components, while necessary for shelf stability and use, takes longer than one persons life-span to decompose. 1.Establish the purpose of the Eco-Indicator calculations Most tungsten, about 85%, is extracted from various ores in China (Siddle, How Is Tungsten Carbide Formed?). Once the plastic has cooled, the pieces are released from the moulds. 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%). The life cycle of plastics Life cycle assessment (LCA) considers the environmental aspects associated with a product over its lifespan. The LMA was then dried with a cotton towel. BIC is voicing their concern about the environmental impact that their large production goals can have. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 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 . endstream endobj startxref Here we present a life cycle assessment of 2 laryngeal mask airways (LMAs), a one-time-use disposable Unique LMA and a 40-time-use reusable Classic LMA. 2011, Packaging Technology and Science. Sustainable Development Report. 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 Terracycle. 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). This practice meets American Society of Anesthesiologists' recommendations for infection control for equipment requiring high-level disinfection.14. Poly(p-Phenylene Oxide). Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Sept. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poly(p-phenylene_oxide). A Comparison Life Cycle Assessment between Razor Blade and Electric Shaver. Dec. 2012. Production of razor blades across the industry is fairly standard. 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. %%EOF From San Diego, both LMAs were assumed to be transported 4700 km by truck to New Haven, CT (70% of shipments in the US are made by truck).13. hbbd``b`z$k@D To go from raw materials to final product involves many steps and heavy energy input. Silver Spring, MD: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2002, 26. A Life Cycle Assessment of Reusable and Single-Use Central V - LWW : Uses, Benefits, and Safety Facts. ChemicalSafetyFacts.org, 17 June 2019, www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/polystyrene/. 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). 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. 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%. In phase 3, we evaluate how significant the impacts are. 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. Since BICs products do not go to a single location it is impossible to give an exact number for BICs energy usage in transportation. life cycle assessment European Environment Agency 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. Each manufacturing plant or node in the supply chain is referred to as agate-to-gate (GTG) life cycle inventory. 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). Disposable razors are designed for consumers that prefer minimum spending . How Is Tungsten Carbide Formed? Chronicle, 20 Aug. 2015, chronicle.kennametal.com/how-is-tungsten-carbide-formed/. Life Cycle Assessment: Disposable paper cups by Shanice Robbins Steel Life Cycle.SSAB, www.ssab.com/company/sustainability/sustainable-offering/steel-life-cycle?di=discover21C927E58ECC41198B78D915F7E3E2AF. 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. 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. Please try after some time. Facilities that select reusable devices should implement inventory and operating procedures that ensure that devices are reused to the greatest possible extent. Packaging is an . Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a technique for assessing the potential environmental aspects and potential aspects associated with a product (or service), by: compiling an inventory of relevant inputs and outputs, evaluating the potential environmental impacts associated with those inputs and outputs, Cad M, Webb T, Bjorksten A. Int Anesthesiol Clin 2010;48:139, 24. It can also help them to compare the newly redesigned product to the original, acting as a benchmark to ensure the design changes are actually positive for the environment. The use of LCA to introduce life-cycle thinking into decision-making for the purchase of medical devices in the NHS. Contribution: This author helped design the study and prepare the manuscript. 15 - 21 Our group recently performed a life cycle assessment of anesthetic drug trays, finding that reusable trays were both environmentally and . xTkJ((5:Ome\%{yIlka;K=1 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. This study assumed no difference between the devices in terms of clinical efficacy or time for placement.4 Disposable LMAs were discarded in regular municipal solid waste bins after use. Gillette Razor Local Recycling Solutions.TerraCycle, www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/gillette-local-recycling. Questions and Answers: CreutzfeldtJakob Disease Infection-Control Practices. Disposable Blood Warmer Market 2023-2030 Future Forecasts 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. Life Cycle Assessment of a Building | Sphera 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 metal must be mined and extracted from the mountain causing an emission of fossil fuels and greenhouse gases (Wang). climate change, summer smog, resource depletion, acidification, human health effects, etc. The Bic corporation considers their environmental impact and takes steps to reduce as much waste as possible. Shavers. BICWorld, www.bicworld.com/en/our-products/shavers. There are three main components in a disposable razor. This project is a collaboration between the Great Recovery Programme and Fab Lab London. Life cycle environmental impacts of disposable medical masks 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.). It is at this stage that very small amounts of other metals such as iron, silicon, and chromium may be added to the carbide to increase its strength and durability. 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 Reusable LMAs were collected in a dirty device bin on the anesthesia cart and then reprocessed by the anesthesia technicians. When you take your blades in to the scrap metal center, choose the steel recycling bin. Wages are then spent on food, entertainment, transport, and other economic activities that themselves have environmental impacts. For both environmental and cost considerations, management and operating procedures should be put in place to ensure that reusable LMAs are not discarded prematurely. For a number of perioperative textiles, surgical instruments, and anesthetic devices, a life cycle assessment (LCA) has been done and has shown reusables to be environmentally favorable to disposables [ 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 ]. In the late 1990s, disposable LMAs became available. Applying this method of assessment is complex and difficult and translating the theory into a . The metal that can be used in the cartridge is also cut out during this stage.