Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
WO 2023/070195
PCT/CA2022/051530
1
A System and Method for Reusing and Recycling Reusable Containers
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
This patent discloses a system, method, and technology designed to allow the
return of consumer-product's containers for multiple-reuses and for a better
recycling of the containers at the end of their life. By delivering
unprecedented
economy and benefits, the disclosed method intends to assist society's
transition
away from single-use containers, which are harmful to the environment but
currently employed in many industries all over the world.
Description of the Related Art
The prior arts teach deposit-refund systems where the deposit amount is
determined by the local government similar to a tax on the consumer's products
and the refund is offered as a rebate when the recycled packaging/container is
returned for recycling. In these upstream systems the fees (deposits) are
imposed
upfront at the production or distribution level and embedded in the price of
the
products, the fee revenues are then used to provide rebates for the waste
material
returned for recycling or to pay the collectors and processors of recyclables.
A typical example is the system for recycling beverage / beer containers,
where a
container-deposit-law (e.g. the 'bottle-bill' in some US states) imposes a
deposit
required on all beer and soft drink containers that would be refunded upon
return
of the containers for recycling. The deposit amount is pre-set by the
government
for each type of these standard containers. Although the retailers collect and
refund the deposit money with the final consumers, they are the middlemen in
these transactions; they have to turn over the collected deposits to the
distributors
or the government, and they have to recoup that money from the government or
distributors after they refund a deposit to the consumers. In some states
consumers have to return containers at collection-centers and receive refunds
directly from state-managed programs. Hence the accounting for such deposit
money is complex, the administration, handling and sorting costs for
recyclables
are high, and the quality of recycled feedstock material is poor, often
plagued by
cross-contamination issues.
CA 03209754 2023- 8- 24
WO 2023/070195
PCT/CA2022/051530
2
In some countries, governments recently required producers to improve on
product recyclability and reusability through design, known as Design for
Environment (DfE), or to take back some percentage of recyclable material each
year, or to bear the cost of container recycling at their end of life, this
requirement
is called Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
On another aspect, the prior arts disclose the use of a unique identifier to
serialize
each container with machine-readable code to store data associated with the
container. This is so that container's manufacturer can track the history of
each
one of their containers, and can add or analyse container usage information as
it
moves through the distribution chain.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the present invention disclosure, the term container is used to include:
the
container, lid, cap, handle, the sealing means, the locking means, the
protecting
means, and the insulating means, which are normally used to fully enclose,
contain and protect a consumer product for the safe handling of the product
during
transportation, distribution, or delivery until the product is consumed or
emptied
out of the container.
Reducing our environmental footprint is the main objective of the method and
system of the current invention disclosure, where system tools are provided to
automate and simplify the reusing and recycling processes for containers
within a
given industry. It delivers unprecedented economy and benefits to businesses,
consumers, and the general public, to entice public participation, to assist
society's
transition away from single-use containers, and to stop wasting valuable
material
resources and energy.
Instead of only reclaiming and recycling the waste material in the making of
new
containers of the prior arts, an aspect of the current invention is the direct
return
for reuse process from the consumers to the container-fillers/retailers at a
downstream end of a container usage cycle, where a container can be returned
for
multiple refills and reuses before been recycled at the end of its life (an
EOL
CA 03209754 2023- 8- 24
WO 2023/070195
PCT/CA2022/051530
3
container). The process lowers the cost of a container by spreading it over
many
reuse/refill cycles, and saves the total amount of material, the energy and
the
carbon footprint associated with the manufacturing and distribution of a new
container that each reuse of the container will replace.
Moreover, the recycling aspect for an EOL container of the current invention
is
also very simple, low cost, and very effective in preserving the quality of
the
recycled feedstock materials.
The industries that will benefit from this invention include but are not
limited to: the
restaurant and food industry, retail industry, consumer packaged goods (CPG)
industry, to name just a few examples.
Unlike the prior arts, another objective of the current method and system is
that it
is designed for implementation on any type of container made out of any
material
by any manufacturer. In fact, container-fillers/retailers can implement the
method
and create reusable containers from their own selection of containers and then
evaluate the reusability, the circular economy and the sustainability of the
selected
containers using the provided system tools.
The system is centered on the use of databases containing all information
related,
assigned, or attributed to each registered container; the information includes
at
least: the address(es) where a container can be returned to, and the required
or
collected deposit amount to be refunded upon the return of said container for
reuse. In the preferred embodiment we will disclose many more objectives and
benefits that the current method and system will deliver when other types of
information are attached to a container and saved to the database.
The objective of assigning a unique identifier (or ID) to a container, or to a
package of containers, or to a plurality of containers having the same form,
shape,
size, or material or being designed for the same intended purpose, is to
identify
said container or said package of containers or said plurality of containers
from
CA 03209754 2023- 8- 24
WO 2023/070195
PCT/CA2022/051530
4
amongst other containers, packages of containers, pluralities of containers in
used
by the public in a given segment of the industry.
Another aspect of the current invention is the step of requiring a consumer to
pay
an additional amount, on top of and separate from the cost of a contained
product
during checking out at a retailer, as a refundable deposit for the use of said
container. This makes the deposit payments upfront and visible to the
consumers
and informs them that there will be no cost associated with the use of the
containers for as long as they return the containers for reuse.
Instead of a complex multi-tier deposit-refund system involving many parties
(government, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, recycling centers, and
consumers) of the prior arts, another objective of the disclosed invention is
to
remove the complex administrative steps in handling the deposit moneys and
recyclables with a downstream deposit-refund process where fund is exchanged
for a container directly between the container-fillers/retailers and the
consumers.
In case a container is not returned for refund after a specified deadline, the
financial accounting process is simplified by considering the deposit amount
as
proceeds of a sale of the container to the consumer; the affected container
will
also be reclassified accordingly on the database.
Another objective of the current invention is the marking of said containers
or
packages of containers with unique symbols to notify the general public that
they
are listed on a public database, that they can be tracked, and that they are
returnable to a given source in order to obtain a monetary refund of the
additional
amount. This offers the best possibility for a recycling program to work, as
it
encourages and allows anyone of the general public to return a marked
container
back to the source, whenever and wherever said container may be found, even
after it has been abandoned by the original consumers.
A further objective of the current invention is to disclose the design of a
physical
package to facilitate the implementation of said system. Said package is
designed
to locate and hold the containers firmly together in a package, to protect and
insulate the containers from the surrounding environment, while allowing for
easy
CA 03209754 2023- 8- 24
WO 2023/070195
PCT/CA2022/051530
access to the individual containers for inspection or reading or scanning of
the
container ID.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be now described by way of examples and will reference to
the
accompanying drawings, of which:
Figure 1 shows the preferred embodiment of a unique symbol 22 marked on a
container or a package of containers to indicate that it is registered and can
be
tracked and managed on our system.
Figure 2 shows the design of a package of containers in accordance with the
preferred embodiment of the current invention.
Figure 3 shows the same design of the package of containers with the carrying
bag fully open for easy inspection and access to the containers.
Figure 4 is a block diagram showing a usage cycle for a container with all
typical
participants and the network access to the container database.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
The exemplary systems, methods, and technologies described below represent a
preferred embodiment of the current invention for deployment in the restaurant
and food industry; with the disclosed information other embodiments can be
derived from and made applicable to other industries by those skilled in the
art of
the current field of invention.
As shown in figure 4, the key participants in a typical usage cycle for a
container
are:
= Container manufacturers, 100, include the companies and individuals that
manufacture containers and/or its components using any material, intended
for use in the containment of a consumer product; the container
manufacturers can be located in any country all around the world.
CA 03209754 2023- 8- 24
WO 2023/070195
PCT/CA2022/051530
6
= Container distributors, 110, include importer(s), wholesaler(s) or those
who
sell and distribute manufactured containers for use in the various industries.
= Container-fillers, 120, are those who fill or refill a reusable container
with
consumer products; in the take-out food industry of our exemplary
embodiment, they are also the retailers as described below.
= Retailers, 121, refer to those who sell a contained consumer-product to
the
consumers and collect payments from the consumers for the contained
products as well as deposits for the use of said reusable containers.
= Consumers, 130, refer to the end-users that consume the contained
products or empty the products out of the containers.
= Database-managers, 140, refer to those who create and manage the
system database for registered reusable containers of the current invention,
and control all public and authorized accesses in order to establish and
maintain data integrity, accountability and trust for the interest of the
different participants.
= Government authorities, 150, include country, state, federal, provincial,
regional or municipal governments that may have an interest in the steps
and transactions of the disclosed method.
In the present invention, an alphanumeric code is registered on a database,
assigned and attached to each reusable container and/or package of containers,
the unique identifier, or ID, then allows for their traceability. Said ID 20
may
include machine-readable code such as barcode or OR code, and is marked on
the body of the container or printed on label 23 affixed to said container.
Said container is selected by a food establishment, for the containment of a
consumer's food-product, from the container product-line of any container
manufacturers 100 or distributors 110 and can be made out of any material
before
registering and assigning said ID 20. Said ID uniquely identifies said
container
from other containers used by the consumers in a given segment of the
industry.
Its machine-readable code (e.g. QR code) allows a quick scanning of the ID by
a
handheld or mobile device (e.g., a smart phone or a tablet computer) for an
automatic access to the data-record of a registered container on the database.
CA 03209754 2023- 8- 24
WO 2023/070195
PCT/CA2022/051530
7
Data tables containing information related, assigned, or attributed to said
container
or package of containers, are set up and managed by a database-manager 140.
Data tables are published and updated on a single or plurality of databases
stored
on a single or plurality of computer servers accessible over the internet,
making
them publicly accessible to any interested parties or individual when they
search
for said container or package of containers by reading/scanning the machine-
readable codes or referring to said ID 2021.
Consumers that buy a product contained in said container or package of
containers will have to pay a deposit, on top of and separate from the cost of
a
contained product, to make the deposit upfront and visible to the consumers.
The
objectives for this step include:
= Enticing the consumers to return said containers so that there will be no
cost for the use of the containers. The returned containers can be reused
over and over multiple times for the same intended purpose, reducing
waste, conserving energy, materials, and costs related to the manufacturing
of a new container that each reuse cycle will replace.
= Avoiding the use of single-use containers and eliminating the incremental
container cost that either the retailer has to absorb or the consumer has to
pay each time when buying a product that requires a container.
= Since the cost of a reusable container no longer affects the cost of the
consumer product, said container can be made with sustainable material(s)
(e.g., high quality recyclable plastic, stainless steel, glass, aluminium) and
better design & quality (e.g. better functions and features) to maximize the
number of reuse cycles and to improve customer satisfaction.
= With a higher number of reuse cycles, a more expensive but better quality
container will become the viable and ecological option for a reusable
container.
The downstream deposit-refund process of the current invention happens between
the container-fillers/retailers 120,121 and the consumers 130 as shown in
Figure
4. It illustrates the case of a returned container received from a consumer as
well
as the case of a container being trashed away, picked-up and returned by a
CA 03209754 2023- 8- 24
WO 2023/070195
PCT/CA2022/051530
8
member of the general public. In the latter case the deposit is used as a
financial
incentive for the return of a container.
Based upon the quality and cost of a selected container, the refundable
deposit
amount will be determined by the container-filler/retailer 120,121 and
published on
the database. The deposit and refund transactions will be updated on the
database, along with the address (or addresses) where said container or
package
of containers can be returned for reuse. The container-related information
will be
made available online for as long as the container remains active and
registered
on the database.
The deposit amount required for a selected container can be set differently to
achieve the following objectives:
= Deposit can be set lower than the cost of the container to encourage
consumers acceptance and participation in the reusable container
program,
= Deposit can be equal to the cost of the container, allowing for a fair
value
for both the retailer and the consumer, or
= Set higher than the cost of the container to increase the financial
incentive
for the return of said container.
For each set value of the deposit amount, the container-fillers/retailers can
monitor
consumer feedback and their participation in the return for reuse program. The
deposit amount can then be readjusted to a value that yields the highest
consumer
participation. A system tool is provided to count and record the number of
reuse
cycles that a container reaches at the end of its life. This allows for an
evaluation
of the real cost per use and the circular economy of each type of container
based
upon the initial cost and the number of reuse cycles recorded on the database;
A deadline for the return of the container for reuse is also predetermined by
the
retailer 121 and published on the database. A reminder-to-return option can be
sent to the consumer prior to the deadline. In the case that a consumer 130
desires to keep a container for their private use (i.e. not-returned for
reuse), said
container is deemed to be sold to the consumer on the deadline and the
proceeds
CA 03209754 2023- 8- 24
WO 2023/070195
PCT/CA2022/051530
9
of sale is equal to the deposit amount. The retailer will have to account for
such
sale transactions for the interest of various participants including
government
authorities enforcing the ban of single use plastics 150. The containers kept
for
private use will also be reclassified on the database.
The database further includes information about the full material
specification of
the container along with the information about the original manufacturer 100
and
the distributor 110. When containers reach the end of their life, the above
information will allow the containers to be returned to the correct
manufacturer 100
for the best possible recycling process with well known material
specifications.
Since the recycling step of the current invention does not use recycling-
centers
and their manual sorting labour, the process will be much simpler and at lower
cost. Additionally since the EOL containers will not be mixed with other types
of
containers or garbage there will be no cross contamination and the quality of
the
recycled feedstock materials will be maintained.
The database record corresponding to an EOL container will be updated to
indicate that it has been taken off circulation and no longer available for
refill and
reuse.
With known container material specifications, and information about
manufacturers and distributors for all containers registered on the database,
a
unified environmentally friendly approach in the procurement of reusable
containers can be developed for the take-out food industry. Collectively we
can
stipulate an Extended Producer Responsibility, build a better working
relationship
with manufacturers, importers and distributors, and support the use of 100%
recyclable materials for reusable containers.
The database further includes a list of all the consumer products offered by a
given container-filler/retailer, in the current embodiment this would be the
menu of
a food establishment. A take-out food item can then be selected and attached
to a
registered container during checkout to indicate the type of food currently
contained inside said container. Once a food item is attached to the
container,
detailed information about the contained food product will become available
and
the consumers will have access to valuable information including:
CA 03209754 2023- 8- 24
WO 2023/070195
PCT/CA2022/051530
= How to best prepare, serve, and/or preserve said take-out food item,
= The health related warning associated to said take-out food item that the
consumers need to be made aware of,
= The typical nutritional value per serving of said take-out food item.
Said database is preferably created, maintained and managed by third party
database-managers, independent of the container-fillers/retailers or the
consumers. This will ensure data integrity, financial accountability and trust
for all
the parties that may have an interest in using the database or in the saving
of the
environment, including government authorities. The database-managers will
authorize and control all access to the database. For example they can allow
authenticated access to a registered-user from the container-fillers/retailers
with
the ability to update or to post new information to a given set of container
records,
while allowing a read only access to the general public for the display of
some
selected container's information stored on the database.
System tools can be made available to allow:
= Analysing the container's database to standardise on the use of standard
containers, to combine container-filler/retailer's needs, and to buy
containers in larger quantities at lower cost.
= Forming retailer's affiliations or associations to accept container
returns,
improving customer service with more container-drop-off locations.
= Keeping tallies of the number of containers being returned back to a
particular affiliated or associated business to arrange for container
redistribution accordingly.
Said containers or said packages of containers will be marked with a unique
symbol 22 to notify the general public that they are listed on a public
database,
that they can be tracked and managed on our system, and that they are
returnable
to a specified container-filler/retailer 120, 121 to obtain a monetary refund
of said
deposit amount. This offers the best possibility for a recycling program to
work,
since it encourages and allows anyone of the general public to return a
returnable
container to the source, whenever and wherever said container may be found
after
CA 03209754 2023- 8- 24
WO 2023/070195
PCT/CA2022/051530
11
being trashed by the original consumers 130. In the preferred embodiment of
the
current invention, the unique symbol marking 22 consists of a universal
recycling
symbol encircling a local currency sign, which in our example is the dollar
sign, as
shown in figure 1 of the patent disclosure.
To further facilitate the physical implementation of said system and method,
the
current invention discloses the design of a package of containers that allow
easy
access for inspection or reading or scanning of the ID's of the individual
containers
within said package.
Said package of container comprises:
= an inter-locating feature or means to locate the containers in a desired
position within the package;
= a holding means to hold the containers firmly together in a package;
= a carrying and protecting means, such as a carrying bag that protects and
insulates the containers from the surrounding environment.
The preferred embodiment of said package of containers is shown in figure 2,
wherein said inter-locating feature is by mean of an inter-locating vertical
stack of
reusable containers 10 and lids 11 and said carrying and protecting means
consists of a carrying bag 12 that protects and insulates the containers from
the
surrounding environment having an integrated strap 15 as the holding means to
hold said containers firmly in a stacking up configuration.
Furthermore, said carrying bag includes a split open end 16 that can be opened
deeply toward the bottom of the bag 17, as shown in figure 3, said strap 15
holds
the stack of containers firmly in place while the bag is opened for reading or
scanning the ID's of the individual containers.
Said ID 21 assigned to a package of containers, and said ID 20 assigned to an
individual container within the package, can contain an informational element
that
allows for quick distinction between a package versus an individual container
in
CA 03209754 2023- 8- 24
WO 2023/070195
PCT/CA2022/051530
12
the package. For example, the ID's "PA0001" and "CON100" indicate package
number 001 and the individual container number 100 respectively.
Similarly, said ID 20 assigned to the individual containers may also contain
an
informational element to quickly indicate the size, the material or the type
of
container by referring to said ID. For example, the ID's "LPL001" and "SGL100"
indicate a large size plastic container number 001 and a small size glass
container
number 100 respectively.
Thus, while there have been shown, described and identified fundamental novel
features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it
will be
understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form
and
details of the illustrated method, system and devices, and in their operation,
may
be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the
invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of
these
elements which perform substantially the same function in substantially the
same
way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention.
Moreover, it
should be recognized that methods and/or elements shown and/or described in
connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be
incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or
embodiment as a general matter of design choice. In some industries, for
example the take-out food industry, a unique ID assigned to a package
comprising
a plurality of reusable containers, in addition to the ID of the individual
containers
may be required to facilitate the implementation of said system. In other
industries, for example the CPG industry, a unique ID assigned to a plurality
of
containers having the same form, shape, size, or material, or being designed
for
the same intended purpose, or for the containment of the same product will be
useful for the implementation of said system.
It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope
of the
claims appended hereto, and the disclosed inventive aspects for a container in
the
text of the claims can be applied to a single container, a package of
containers, or
a plurality of containers to achieve the various objectives of the current
invention.
CA 03209754 2023- 8- 24
