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 I 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. 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 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 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 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. • 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 QR 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. 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 20 21.

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 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 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: • 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 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 the package. For example, the ID’s “PAC001” 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.