Environmental impact evaluation system, environmental impact evaluation method, and storage medium

Abstract

The invention provides an environmental impact evaluation system, an environmental impact evaluation method, and a storage medium, which can appropriately evaluate the impact on the environment in association with a product expected by a user according to the condition of each product. An environmental impact evaluation system includes: a storage unit that stores identification information for identifying a product and associated information for the product associated with a user who uses the product, material information for the product, and manufacturing information for the product; a prediction information generation unit that generates, on the basis of material information and manufacturing information, prediction information including material prediction information of the product and manufacturing prediction information of the product, which are generated by manufacturing the product corresponding to the identification information; an environmental index calculation unit that calculates a first environmental index on the basis of prediction information including material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information; and an output unit that outputs the calculated first environmental index.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an environmental impact assessment system, an environmental impact assessment method, and a storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, companies manufacturing these products have implemented measures to address environmental issues such as carbon dioxide emissions and global warming, for example, by disclosing environmental impact assessments (EIAs) on the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by each organization / product. Furthermore, consumers are paying attention to these environmental measures and may consider such EIAs when purchasing products.

[0003] As a business, it is required to properly understand the environmental impact related to the manufacturing of products and to inform users accordingly.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an emission simulation system that utilizes information representing the carbon dioxide emissions during the manufacturing process of each component constituting the product. Specifically, the emission simulation system improves the accuracy of carbon dioxide emission estimation during product design by utilizing the carbon dioxide emissions during the manufacturing process of each component as published by the supplier or manufacturer of each component.

[0005] [Existing technical documents]

[0006] [Patent Literature]

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2024-053672 Summary of the Invention

[0008] [The problem the invention aims to solve]

[0009] However, the emission simulation system in Patent Document 1 does not take into account the carbon dioxide emissions associated with individual products as desired by the user, and may not be able to properly calculate the carbon dioxide emissions based on the individual conditions of the products.

[0010] Therefore, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide an environmental impact assessment system, environmental impact assessment method, and storage medium that can appropriately assess the environmental impact associated with the product as desired by the user, based on the condition of each product.

[0011] [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0012] One embodiment of this disclosure provides an environmental impact assessment system for assessing the environmental impact associated with a product that is any of clothing, footwear, or apparel. The environmental impact assessment system includes a storage unit, a prediction information generation unit, an environmental indicator calculation unit, and an output unit. The storage unit stores identification information, material information related to the product's materials, and manufacturing information related to the product's manufacturing process. The identification information identifies the product and is associated with information about the product corresponding to a user using the product. The prediction information generation unit generates prediction information based on the material information and manufacturing information. The prediction information includes material prediction information related to the product's materials and manufacturing prediction information generated by manufacturing the product corresponding to the identification information. The environmental indicator calculation unit calculates a first environmental indicator related to the environmental impact associated with the product based on the prediction information including the material prediction information and the manufacturing prediction information. The output unit outputs the calculated first environmental indicator.

[0013] According to this embodiment, the storage unit stores identification information, material information, and manufacturing information of the product. The prediction information generation unit generates material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information for the product based on the material information and manufacturing information. Furthermore, the environmental indicator calculation unit calculates a first environmental indicator based on the material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information, and the output unit outputs the first environmental indicator. Thus, it is possible to appropriately assess the environmental impact associated with the product as desired by the user, based on the condition of each product.

[0014] One embodiment of this disclosure provides an environmental impact assessment method performed by an environmental impact assessment system that assesses the environmental impact associated with a product, such as clothing, footwear, or apparel. The environmental impact assessment method acquires identification information, material information related to the product's materials, and manufacturing information related to the product's manufacture, all stored in a storage unit. The identification information identifies the product and is associated with product-related information corresponding to a user using the product. Furthermore, the environmental impact assessment method generates prediction information based on the material information and manufacturing information. The prediction information includes material prediction information related to the product's materials and manufacturing prediction information generated by manufacturing the product corresponding to the identification information. Then, based on the prediction information including the material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information, the environmental impact assessment method calculates a first environmental indicator related to the environmental impact associated with the product and outputs the calculated first environmental indicator.

[0015] According to this embodiment, the storage unit stores identification information, material information, and manufacturing information of the product. In the environmental impact assessment method, material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information of the product are generated based on the material information and manufacturing information. Furthermore, in the environmental impact assessment method, a first environmental indicator is calculated and output based on the material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately assess the environmental impact associated with the product as desired by the user, according to the condition of each product.

[0016] One embodiment of this disclosure provides a storage medium storing an environmental impact assessment program, enabling a computer to execute an environmental impact assessment method that assesses the environmental impact associated with a product, such as clothing, footwear, or apparel. The environmental impact assessment program acquires identification information, material information related to the product's materials, and manufacturing information related to the product's manufacture, all stored in a storage unit. The identification information identifies the product and is associated with information corresponding to a user using the product. Furthermore, the environmental impact assessment program generates prediction information based on the material information and manufacturing information. This prediction information includes material prediction information related to the product's materials and manufacturing prediction information generated by manufacturing the product corresponding to the identification information. Finally, based on the prediction information including the material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information, the environmental impact assessment program calculates a first environmental indicator related to the environmental impact associated with the product and outputs the calculated first environmental indicator.

[0017] According to this embodiment, the storage unit stores identification information, material information, and manufacturing information of the product. In the environmental impact assessment process, material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information for the product are generated based on the material information and manufacturing information. Furthermore, in the environmental impact assessment process, a first environmental indicator is calculated and output based on the material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately assess the environmental impact associated with the product as desired by the user, according to the condition of each product. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 It is a diagram used to illustrate the environmental impact associated with a product throughout its life cycle.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a system schematic diagram illustrating the environmental impact assessment system 10 of the first embodiment of this disclosure.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a diagram representing a specific example of user information U10.

[0021] Figure 4This is a diagram illustrating an example of a database that stores various information needed to manufacture footwear.

[0022] Figure 5 This is an example of a graph showing the amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced as an environmental indicator from the manufacture (including material use) of footwear.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a database containing various information that takes into account the environmental impact associated with footwear throughout its lifecycle, from its manufacture (including material use) to its disposal.

[0024] Figure 7 This is an example of a graph that shows the amount of carbon dioxide emissions emitted as an environmental indicator throughout the life cycle of footwear, from manufacturing (including material use) to disposal.

[0025] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow of the environmental impact assessment method M100 performed by the environmental impact assessment system 10 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure.

[0026] Figure 9 This is a system schematic diagram illustrating the environmental impact assessment system 20 according to the second embodiment of this disclosure.

[0027] Figure 10 This is a graph that represents an example of an environmental indicator, showing the amount of carbon dioxide emissions (including material / manufacturing performance) emitted over the life cycle of footwear from manufacturing (including material use) to disposal.

[0028] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow of the environmental impact assessment method M200 performed by the environmental impact assessment system 20 of the second embodiment of this disclosure.

[0029] Figure 12 This is a system overview diagram representing the environmental impact assessment system 30 of the third embodiment of this disclosure.

[0030] Figure 13 This is a diagram representing a specific example of user information U30.

[0031] Figure 14 This is a graph that represents an example of an environmental indicator showing the amount of carbon dioxide emissions (including material usage, manufacturing, transportation, use, and disposal) emitted throughout the life cycle of footwear, from manufacturing (including material use) to disposal.

[0032] Figure 15 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow of the environmental impact assessment method M300 performed by the environmental impact assessment system 30 of the third embodiment of this disclosure.

[0033] Figure 16 It is a graph that shows the predicted and actual values ​​of footwear (products) before and after manufacturing, based on the material and manufacturing information of the footwear (products) as expected by the user.

[0034] Figure 17 This is an example of a graph that represents the amount of carbon dioxide emissions (assigned by a rating) emitted over the entire life cycle of footwear, from manufacturing (including material use) to disposal, as an environmental indicator.

[0035] Figure 18 This is a diagram showing the overview of the Product Management System 400.

[0036] Explanation of icon numbers

[0037] 10, 20, 30: Environmental Impact Assessment System

[0038] 11: Terminal

[0039] 21: Factory

[0040] 100, 200, 300: Server devices

[0041] 110: Storage Department

[0042] 120: Predictive Information Generation Department

[0043] 130, 230, 330: Environmental Indicator Calculation Section

[0044] 140, 240, 340: Output section

[0045] 210, 310: Performance Information Acquisition Department

[0046] 400: Product Management System

[0047] U10, U30: User Information

[0048] D10: Identification Information

[0049] D11: CAD Data

[0050] D20: Materials Information

[0051] D30: Manufacturing Information

[0052] D40: Transportation Information

[0053] D50: Usage Information

[0054] D60: Obsolete Information

[0055] A10: Material Performance Information

[0056] A20: Manufacturing Performance Information

[0057] A30: Transportation Performance Information

[0058] A40: Using Performance Information

[0059] A50: Discarded Performance Information

[0060] O10, O20, O30, O40: Carbon dioxide emissions

[0061] O11: Carbon Dioxide Emissions (Materials)

[0062] O12: Carbon dioxide emissions (manufacturing)

[0063] O13: Carbon dioxide emissions (transportation)

[0064] O14: Carbon Dioxide Emissions (Usage)

[0065] O15: Carbon dioxide emissions (waste)

[0066] O21: Carbon dioxide emissions (actual data)

[0067] O22: Carbon dioxide emissions (manufacturing performance)

[0068] O33: Carbon dioxide emissions (transportation performance)

[0069] O34: Carbon Dioxide Emissions (Based on Actual Performance)

[0070] O35: Carbon dioxide emissions (waste performance) Detailed Implementation

[0071] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the embodiments described below are merely specific examples for implementing the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the interpretation of the disclosure. Moreover, for ease of understanding, identical reference numerals will be used as much as possible for the same constituent elements in the drawings, and repeated descriptions will sometimes be omitted.

[0072] <First Implementation>

[0073] [Product life cycle]

[0074] Figure 1 It is a diagram used to illustrate the environmental impact associated with a product throughout its life cycle. For example... Figure 1As shown, the environmental impact associated with the product can be represented by the amount of carbon dioxide emitted from materials (S10), manufacturing (S20), transportation (S30), use (S40), and waste (S50). Carbon dioxide emissions can be calculated based on activity levels and basic units, as explained below.

[0075] Material S10 is the material used in the product. For example, different materials may be used for each product and each part of the product, or even for the same product and product parts, the weight of the material used may vary depending on the size, etc. As for the environmental impact associated with the material S10 of the product, carbon dioxide emissions can be expressed, for example, as shown in (number 1). The weight used is the weight of the material input minus the remaining amount, which also includes process losses, etc. For example, when a piece of fabric is cut and used in a product, the weight used may be the entire piece of fabric, including its losses. Moreover, when a product is manufactured using a three-dimensional (3D) printer, the amount of resin ink reduction may be defined as the weight used.

[0076] Carbon dioxide emissions (materials) = Σ(weight used [g] × basic unit of each component [gCO)) 2e / g])…(number 1)

[0077] Manufacturing S20 is the process of manufacturing a product, such as manufacturing a product in a factory. As for the environmental impact associated with the manufacturing S20 of the product, carbon dioxide emissions can be expressed using the following (number 2) based on the processing time of the product during operation in the factory, rated power, fuel consumption and thermal efficiency.

[0078] Carbon dioxide emissions (manufacturing) = Σ(processing time [h] × rated power [kW] × basic unit [gCO)) 2e / kWh])+Σ(Fuel consumption [g]×thermal efficiency [MJ / g]×basic unit [gCO] 2e / MJ])…(Number 2)

[0079] Alternatively, an estimated value can be obtained by dividing the power consumption based on past factory performance (e.g., annual power consumption) by the number of products produced (excluding defective products).

[0080] Transportation S30 is the process of transporting products, including, for example, delivering manufactured products to a designated transportation destination (e.g., a buyer). Furthermore, transportation also includes the transport of raw materials to the manufacturing plant, the transport of waste from the manufacturing plant to a waste disposal site, and the transport of returned products from buyers. The environmental impact associated with product transportation S30 can be expressed using the following (number 3) based on factors such as transport weight and distance in truck, rail, sea, and air transportation.

[0081] Carbon dioxide emissions (transportation) = Σ(transportation weight [g] × transportation distance [km] × basic unit [g CO2]) 2e / g·km])…(Number 3)

[0082] S40 refers to the process by which a user uses the product, such as cleaning, repairing, and storing the product. Regarding the environmental impact associated with the use of the product S40, for example, carbon dioxide emissions can be expressed using the following (number 4) based on factors such as the operating time of the washing machine, the rated power, and the amount of water or detergent used during the cleaning of products such as washing machines.

[0083] Carbon dioxide emissions (in use) = Σ(Usage time [h] × Rated power [kW] × Basic unit [gCO) 2e / kWh])+Σ(Material usage [g]×Basic unit [gCO] 2e / g])…(number 4)

[0084] Furthermore, this project may also include, to the extent possible, the consumption and waste of maintenance agents (such as oils) used for repair and storage, and consequently, the power consumption of electrical appliances other than washing machines such as dryers.

[0085] Waste S50 refers to the process of discarding products by the user, such as products that are discarded by the user. The environmental impact associated with the waste S50, such as carbon dioxide emissions based on the weight of waste in incineration, landfill, and recycling at a factory, is expressed using the following (number 5). Furthermore, the treatment of waste generated at the manufacturing plant is also calculated in this section. Regarding the basic unit, the basic unit determined according to different waste methods is primarily used.

[0086] Carbon dioxide emissions (waste) = Σ(waste weight [g] × basic unit [gCO2]) 2e / g])…(number 5)

[0087] Thus, the environmental impact of a product, from the materials used in its manufacture to its life cycle from manufacturing to disposal, can be assessed using metrics such as carbon dioxide emissions.

[0088] Furthermore, regarding carbon dioxide emissions, they may not be calculated separately for each of the stages of material production (S10), manufacturing (S20), transportation (S30), use (S40), and disposal (S50) based on the specific items that affect carbon dioxide emissions. Instead, they may be calculated by including other items that affect carbon dioxide emissions, and may not be calculated separately as for each stage. Strictly speaking, for material production (S10), the use of raw materials also includes the transportation and disposal losses of the raw materials used in the production of product components. Therefore, carbon dioxide emissions may not be calculated solely based on the carbon dioxide emissions derived from the material itself, but also include the transportation volume of raw materials, the weight loss during the manufacturing process using raw materials, and the energy consumption during the manufacturing process. Thus, in the carbon dioxide emissions of manufacturing (S20), the manufacturing origin of the product components and product assembly is included in the calculation. The carbon dioxide emissions of transportation (S30) are calculated based on the energy consumption associated with the manufacturing of the company's own products. The calculation of carbon dioxide emissions using S40 has changed depending on the maintenance methods actually used by the user. It includes not only the drainage treatment of water used in washing as we envisioned, but also the power consumption of household appliances (washing machines, dryers, etc.), the consumption of materials such as deodorizers and moisturizing oils.

[0089] [Structure of the Environmental Impact Assessment System]

[0090] Figure 2 This is a system schematic diagram illustrating the environmental impact assessment system 10 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. (See diagram for example.) Figure 2 As shown, the environmental impact assessment system 10 includes a server device 100 and a terminal 11. The server device 100 includes a storage unit 110, a prediction information generation unit 120, an environmental indicator calculation unit 130, and an output unit 140. Furthermore, the server device 100 can also obtain user information U10 from the terminal 11 and output environmental indicators to the terminal 11.

[0091] Server device 100 can also obtain information from the EC website as user information U10 by the information entered by the user when ordering products on the Electronic Commerce (EC) website.

[0092] Furthermore, in this embodiment, footwear such as shoes is used as an example to illustrate the product used in the environmental impact assessment system 10 for assessing its impact on the environment, but the product is not limited to this. For example, the product used for assessing its impact on the environment may also be footwear components (insoles, etc.), clothing (clothes, socks, and hats, etc.), apparel accessories, and other products that are worn directly or indirectly on the body (rings, glasses, goggles, earrings, headphones, and earphones, etc.).

[0093] Terminal 11 can be a user's terminal or a terminal set up in a store, such as a personal computer, tablet, or smartphone.

[0094] Users and store clerks can use terminal 11 to input user information U10 related to the user or update and confirm the user information U10. In addition, users can also input or confirm information in order to order products.

[0095] Users and store clerks can also confirm or update product information when a user orders a product or after a user has purchased a product.

[0096] Figure 3 This is a diagram representing a specific example of user information U10. For example... Figure 3 As shown, user information U10 includes body information, product information, delivery information, maintenance information, usage information, and disposal information.

[0097] Body information includes information related to the user's height, weight, foot size, and foot shape. For example, the user uses terminal 11 to input their height and weight. Foot size and foot shape information can also be obtained by measuring the user's feet using a dedicated application installed in a smartphone or a dedicated measuring device installed in a store. In addition, foot shape-related information can be either scan data of the user's feet or 3D model data generated based on the scan data.

[0098] More specifically, body information can be any body-related information that affects the user due to changes in the product caused by its use. This includes information related to the user's height, weight, gender, the size or shape of the body part corresponding to the product, and movement tendencies. Information related to movement tendencies includes, for example, information related to walking or running tendencies (e.g., stride length, stride width, pronation angle and type, ground contact type, pressure on the feet, etc.). In the case of shoes or shoe insoles, the size or shape of the body part corresponding to the product includes, for example, foot size, arch width or height, and foot shape.

[0099] Additionally, user-related information, including bodily information, can be obtained from devices such as the user's smartphone. Information can also be obtained from systems running applications used by the user. These applications could be, for example, applications that manage product usage records, particularly running tracking applications. Furthermore, user-related information, including bodily information, can be obtained from the user's device or the system running the application through terminals located in stores.

[0100] Product information includes information related to product category, shape, and color. For example, a user uses terminal 11 to input the product category (model), shape, and color of the desired product. Here, the desired product can also be a product ordered by the user (including actual orders and orders under discussion). Moreover, the product shape and color can be set in detail for each product and product component. Furthermore, product information is not limited to orders; it can also include preference information, such as the user's preferred product category (model), shape, and color.

[0101] In addition, the products that users expect can be custom-made, produced in small batches, or mass-produced and commercially available.

[0102] Delivery information includes details such as the delivery address, delivery method, and delivery date. For example, a user uses terminal 11 to input the delivery address, delivery method, and delivery date. The delivery address is the destination of the product ordered by the user. Delivery methods include truck transport, land transport, rail transport, sea transport, and air transport, which can be automatically set based on the delivery address or entered by the user. The delivery date can be automatically set based on the product information of the ordered product and the delivery address, or the user can input their desired delivery date.

[0103] In addition, delivery methods and delivery dates are sometimes related. For example, it can be configured such that users can use terminal 11 to confirm the environmental indicators described later, while considering the environmental impact when inputting the delivery method and delivery date.

[0104] The maintenance information includes details related to cleaning methods, cleaning frequency, repair methods, and storage methods. For example, the user uses terminal 11 to input the cleaning method, cleaning frequency, repair method, and storage method for the ordered product. Specifically, cleaning methods include washing in a washing machine and hand washing, and cleaning frequency includes once a week and once a month. Cleaning methods other than washing are also considered, such as deodorizing with a spray. In the case of textile products, repair methods are also considered, such as repairing embroidery, and the use of thread materials. Furthermore, regarding the replacement of shoe soles, the use of materials (tapes and adhesives) and the addition of power consumption due to processing are considered. Storage methods include the use of moisture-absorbing materials and deodorizing sprays.

[0105] Usage information includes details related to the purpose of use, frequency of use, intensity of use, surface conditions during use (e.g., concrete, soil, lawn, asphalt gravel, etc.), walking distance, walking speed, and storage method. For example, a user uses terminal 11 to input the purpose of use, frequency of use, intensity of use, surface conditions during use, walking distance, walking speed, and storage method for the ordered product. Specifically, the purpose of use includes commuting and running, the frequency of use is the frequency of use within a specific period, the walking distance is the walking distance per day, week, or month, and the walking speed is the walking speed at that time. Storage method includes whether the product is used indoors, outdoors, or with shoe trees.

[0106] The disposal information includes information related to the disposal method. For example, users can use terminal 11 to input the disposal method for the ordered products, or the disposal method can be automatically set based on the autonomous region information envisioned according to the delivery address.

[0107] Furthermore, the user information U10 may not include all of the aforementioned information, nor may it be limited to the aforementioned information. Any information related to the user who orders, uses, or discards the product, as well as product-related information, can be entered or automatically obtained using the terminal 11 as user information U10.

[0108] return Figure 2 As explained, storage unit 110 stores information required for manufacturing footwear (products) and information required for assessing the environmental impact. For example, storage unit 110 may be installed in server device 100, may be independently configured with server device 100, may contain multiple storage units, or may be in the form of a database.

[0109] Specifically, the storage unit 110 stores identification information for the product, material information related to the product's materials, and manufacturing information related to the product's production. The identification information identifies the product; for example, it can be a unique management number containing alphanumeric symbols or a two-dimensional barcode. The identification information is associated with product-related information corresponding to the user using the product; for example, it is associated with information required for manufacturing footwear (products), namely material information and manufacturing information.

[0110] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a database storing various information needed to manufacture footwear. (For example...) Figure 4 As shown, the database stores identification information D10, material information D20, and manufacturing information D30 in a related manner.

[0111] For example, based on product information (product category, product shape, and color, etc.) contained in user information U10, the user's foot size and shape are used to determine the type of footwear the user desires. Furthermore, the footwear is managed using identification information. Additionally, the identification information may include or be associated with the computer-aided design (CAD) data D11 of the footwear. Moreover, when the product is footwear, the identification information may also include separate identification information for left and right feet.

[0112] Specifically, for products (footwear and insoles, etc.), products for the left foot are associated with identification information for the left foot, and products for the right foot are associated with identification information for the right foot.

[0113] A user's right and left feet will naturally have different shapes, and are not necessarily symmetrical. For example, their sizes (length and width) may differ, or they may support different sports, and sometimes they may even have distinct characteristics based on walking style. Custom-made products (shoes, insoles, etc.) must be designed to accommodate both left and right feet. In other words, each left and right foot can be assigned independent identification information based on the user's specific needs.

[0114] Furthermore, an identification information can be assigned to manage the products on the left and right as one leg.

[0115] As mentioned above, products (shoes and insoles, etc.) for the left and right feet must be manufactured separately. Furthermore, identification information can be formed by combining the markings assigned to the left and right products (shoes and insoles, etc.). That is, the marking for the left foot of a product (shoes and insoles, etc.) and the marking for the right foot of a product (shoes and insoles, etc.) form a pair. Here, "pair" can be formed by combining the markings for the left and right feet so that the shape of their connecting part matches, or by matching the colors and patterns at their connecting part. Furthermore, identification information can also be formed based on the conscious connection between the content recorded in the markings for the left and right feet respectively.

[0116] Material information D20 includes the type of material used in the footwear and its weight used. Manufacturing information D30 includes manufacturing processes, processing time, fuel consumption, rated power, and thermal efficiency, and further includes power consumption based on past factory performance (e.g., annual power consumption) and the number of products produced (excluding defective products). That is, in the storage unit 110, for each type of footwear manufactured, product information, the type of material corresponding to foot size and shape, and its weight used are stored as material information D20, and manufacturing processes (including the manufacturing plant, manufacturing machinery, and manufacturing method), processing time in the manufacturing process, fuel consumption, rated power, and thermal efficiency are stored as manufacturing information D30. The weight used refers to the weight of the input material minus the remaining amount, and also includes weight loss during the process.

[0117] The prediction information generation unit 120 generates prediction information based on material information D20 and manufacturing information D30. The prediction information includes material prediction information related to the material of the footwear generated by manufacturing and identifying footwear corresponding to the identification information D10, and manufacturing prediction information related to the manufacturing of the footwear.

[0118] For example, the prediction information generation unit 120 determines the type of footwear (product information such as product category, product shape and color, foot size and foot shape) desired by the user based on the identification information D10. The prediction information generation unit 120 generates the following based on the material information D20 and the manufacturing information D30: the materials required to manufacture the determined footwear (material type and weight) (material prediction information), and the manufacturing processes, processing time, fuel consumption, rated power, thermal efficiency, power consumption based on past factory performance (e.g., annual power consumption), and the number of products produced (excluding defective products) (manufacturing prediction information).

[0119] Thus, the prediction information generation unit 120 generates material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information based on the footwear desired by the user.

[0120] The environmental indicator calculation unit 130 calculates environmental indicators (first environmental indicators) related to the environmental impact associated with the footwear desired by the user, based on the prediction information generated by the prediction information generation unit 120, which includes material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information.

[0121] For example, the environmental indicator calculation unit 130 uses the aforementioned (number 1) to calculate the carbon dioxide emissions (materials) based on the material prediction information generated by manufacturing footwear as desired by users.

[0122] Similarly, the environmental indicator calculation unit 130 calculates the carbon dioxide emissions (manufacturing) using the aforementioned (number 2) based on manufacturing forecast information generated by manufacturing footwear as desired by users.

[0123] Furthermore, the environmental indicators calculation unit 130 calculates the amount of carbon dioxide emissions emitted due to the manufacture (including material use) of footwear as desired by users, based on carbon dioxide emissions (materials) and carbon dioxide emissions (manufacturing).

[0124] Here, the (number 1), (number 2), and other basic units required to calculate the carbon dioxide emissions used as an environmental indicator to assess the impact on the environment can also be pre-stored in the storage unit 110, etc.

[0125] The output unit 140 outputs the carbon dioxide emissions (first environmental indicator) calculated by the environmental indicator calculation unit 130.

[0126] Figure 5 This is an example of a graph showing the output of carbon dioxide emissions from the manufacture (including material use) of footwear as an environmental indicator. (Example...) Figure 5 As shown, carbon dioxide emissions O10, carbon dioxide emissions (materials) O11, and carbon dioxide emissions (manufacturing) O12 are displayed.

[0127] Carbon dioxide emissions (material) O11, regarding user expectations for footwear, indicates the relationship with... Figure 1 The carbon dioxide emissions associated with the footwear materials throughout the product's life cycle are shown.

[0128] Carbon dioxide emissions (manufacturing) O12, regarding user expectations for footwear, indicates a correlation with... Figure 1 The carbon dioxide emissions associated with the manufacture of footwear during the product's life cycle are shown.

[0129] CO2 emissions O10 is the sum of CO2 emissions (materials) O11 and CO2 emissions (manufacturing) O12, representing the level of CO2 emissions generated as a result of manufacturing footwear as desired by the user (including material usage).

[0130] For example, server device 100 can also output... Figure 5 The carbon dioxide emissions O10, carbon dioxide emissions (materials) O11, and carbon dioxide emissions (manufacturing) O12 are displayed on the screen of terminal 11 to prompt the user.

[0131] Therefore, as a user, one can know the level of carbon dioxide emissions from the manufacture (including material usage) of the desired footwear before it is produced. This can influence a user's purchasing motivation; for example, environmentally conscious users may order footwear with lower carbon dioxide emissions.

[0132] Furthermore, it is also possible to consider [with / to] Figure 1The carbon dioxide emissions associated with the transportation, use, and disposal of footwear throughout the product's life cycle are shown.

[0133] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a database storing various information necessary to consider the environmental impact associated with footwear throughout its lifecycle, from manufacturing (including material use) to disposal. (See diagram for example.) Figure 6 As shown, in the database, besides the identification information D10 and the usage... Figure 4 In addition to the material information D20 and manufacturing information D30, the system also stores transportation information D40, usage information D50 and disposal information D60.

[0134] The footwear that the user expects to manage is based on identification information. Furthermore, this identification information can also be associated with various pieces of information contained in the user information U10. Specifically, the identification information can also be associated with the user information U10, including delivery information (delivery address, delivery method, and delivery date), maintenance information (cleaning method, cleaning frequency, repair method, and storage method), and disposal information (disposal method) for the footwear the user expects.

[0135] Transportation information D40 includes transportation method, transportation weight, and transportation distance; usage information D50 includes cleaning method, usage time, rated power, and material usage; and disposal information D60 includes disposal method and disposal weight. That is, in the storage unit 110, transportation information D40 is stored corresponding to the delivery information (delivery address, delivery method, and delivery date) for each type of footwear to be delivered. Furthermore, in the storage unit 110, usage information D50 is stored corresponding to the maintenance information (cleaning method, cleaning frequency, repair method, and storage method), including cleaning method, usage time, rated power, material usage, usage of repair materials (threads, straps, adhesives, etc.), and usage of storage products (moisture-absorbing materials and deodorizing sprays, etc.). Moreover, in the storage unit 110, disposal information D60 is stored corresponding to the disposal information (disposal method) for each type of footwear to be disposed of.

[0136] The prediction information generation unit 120 generates transportation prediction information related to the transportation of footwear corresponding to the delivery and identification information D10, based on transportation information D40. The prediction information generation unit 120 generates usage prediction information related to the use of footwear corresponding to the maintenance and identification information D10, based on usage information D50. The prediction information generation unit 120 generates waste prediction information related to the waste of footwear corresponding to the waste and identification information D10, based on waste information D60.

[0137] For example, the prediction information generation unit 120 generates transportation prediction information based on the delivery information contained in the identification information D10 and the user information U10 associated with the identification information D10, and based on the transportation information D40, to generate the transportation method, transportation weight, and transportation distance required for the footwear desired by the user. The prediction information generation unit 120 generates usage prediction information based on the maintenance information contained in the identification information D10 and the user information U10 associated with the identification information D10, and based on the usage information D50, to generate the cleaning method, usage time, rated power, water usage, usage of repair materials (threads, straps, adhesives, etc.), and usage of storage products (moisture-absorbing materials and deodorizing sprays, etc.) required for the footwear desired by the user. The prediction information generation unit 120 generates disposal prediction information based on the disposal information contained in the identification information D10 and the user information U10 associated with the identification information D10, and based on the disposal information D60, to generate disposal prediction information based on the disposal method and disposal weight required for the footwear desired by the user.

[0138] Thus, the prediction information generation unit 120 generates not only material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information, but also at least one of the following prediction information: transportation prediction information, usage prediction information, and disposal prediction information generated based on the user's expectations regarding footwear during transportation, maintenance, and disposal.

[0139] The environmental indicator calculation unit 130 calculates an environmental indicator (first environmental indicator) related to the environmental impact associated with footwear desired by the user, based on at least one of the prediction information generated by the prediction information generation unit 120, which includes, in addition to material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information, transportation prediction information, usage prediction information and disposal prediction information.

[0140] For example, the environmental indicator calculation unit 130 uses the aforementioned (number 3) to calculate carbon dioxide emissions (transportation) based on transportation forecast information generated by the transportation user's desired footwear.

[0141] Similarly, the environmental indicator calculation unit 130 calculates the carbon dioxide emissions (use) based on the usage prediction information generated by maintaining the footwear desired by the user, using the aforementioned (number 4).

[0142] Similarly, the environmental indicator calculation unit 130 calculates the carbon dioxide emissions (waste) using the aforementioned (number 5) based on the waste prediction information generated by the discarded footwear as expected by the discarding users.

[0143] Furthermore, the environmental indicator calculation unit 130 calculates the amount of carbon dioxide emissions emitted during the user's desired lifespan of the footwear based on prediction information that includes at least one of carbon dioxide emissions (transportation), carbon dioxide emissions (use), and carbon dioxide emissions (waste), in addition to carbon dioxide emissions (materials) and carbon dioxide emissions (manufacturing).

[0144] Here, the numbers (3) to (5) and the basic units required to calculate the carbon dioxide emissions used as an environmental indicator to assess the impact on the environment can also be pre-stored in the storage unit 110, etc.

[0145] The output unit 140 outputs the carbon dioxide emissions (first environmental indicator) calculated by the environmental indicator calculation unit 130.

[0146] Figure 7 This is an example of a graph showing the amount of carbon dioxide emissions emitted throughout the lifecycle of footwear, from manufacturing (including material use) to disposal, as an environmental indicator. (Example:) Figure 7 As shown, in addition to using Figure 5 In addition to the carbon dioxide emissions O10, carbon dioxide emissions (materials) O11 and carbon dioxide emissions (manufacturing) O12 described, carbon dioxide emissions (transportation) O13, carbon dioxide emissions (use) O14 and carbon dioxide emissions (waste) O15 are also shown.

[0147] CO2 emissions (transportation) O13, regarding user expectations for footwear, indicates a correlation with... Figure 1 The carbon dioxide emissions associated with the transportation of footwear throughout the product's life cycle are shown.

[0148] Carbon dioxide emissions (using) O14, regarding user expectations for footwear, indicates a correlation with... Figure 1 The carbon dioxide emissions associated with the use of footwear throughout the product's life cycle are shown.

[0149] Carbon dioxide emissions (waste) O15, regarding user expectations for footwear, indicates a correlation with... Figure 1 The figure shows the carbon dioxide emissions associated with the disposal of footwear during the product's life cycle.

[0150] CO2 emissions O10 is the sum of CO2 emissions (materials) O11, CO2 emissions (manufacturing) O12, CO2 emissions (transportation) O13, CO2 emissions (use) O14, and CO2 emissions (waste) O15, indicating the level of CO2 emissions during the user's desired lifespan of the footwear.

[0151] For example, server device 100 can also output... Figure 7 The carbon dioxide emissions O10, carbon dioxide emissions (materials) O11, carbon dioxide emissions (manufacturing) O12, carbon dioxide emissions (transportation) O13, carbon dioxide emissions (use) O14, and carbon dioxide emissions (waste) O15 are displayed on the screen of terminal 11 to prompt the user.

[0152] Therefore, as a user, one can understand the level of carbon dioxide emissions from the manufacturing process (including material usage) to transportation, use (maintenance), and disposal of the desired footwear before it is even manufactured. This can influence a user's purchasing motivation; for example, environmentally conscious users may order footwear with lower carbon dioxide emissions. Furthermore, users can become aware of reduced carbon dioxide emissions based on factors such as delivery method and delivery time, cleaning methods, cleaning frequency, repair methods, storage methods, and disposal methods.

[0153] Environmental Impact Assessment Methodology

[0154] Next, we will explain in detail the environmental impact assessment method for evaluating the environmental impacts associated with footwear (products).

[0155] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow of the environmental impact assessment method M100 performed by the environmental impact assessment system 10 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. For example... Figure 8 As shown, the environmental impact assessment method M100 includes steps S110 to S130, each step of which is performed, for example, by a processor or the like contained in the server device 100.

[0156] In step S110, the prediction information generation unit 120 generates prediction information based on user information and various information in the database. Specifically, the prediction information generation unit 120 generates prediction information based on information stored in the storage unit 110. Figure 4 and Figure 6 The identification information shown is used to generate prediction information with the information associated with the identification information. The prediction information includes at least one of the following: material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information corresponding to the footwear desired by the user, transportation prediction information, usage prediction information, and disposal prediction information.

[0157] In step S120, the environmental indicator calculation unit 130 calculates the environmental indicator (carbon dioxide emissions) based on the prediction information generated in step S110. Specifically, the environmental indicator calculation unit 130 calculates the carbon dioxide emissions (first environmental indicator) using the aforementioned (number 1) to (number 5) based on the prediction information generated in step S110.

[0158] In step S130, output unit 140 outputs an environmental indicator (carbon dioxide emissions). Specifically, output unit 140 outputs the carbon dioxide emissions (first environmental indicator) calculated in step S120. Output unit 140 may also output the carbon dioxide emissions (first environmental indicator) as follows: Figure 5 and Figure 7 The screen shown on terminal 11 is displayed as shown to prompt the user.

[0159] [Effects of the First Embodiment]

[0160] According to the environmental impact assessment system 10 and environmental impact assessment method M100 of the first embodiment of this disclosure, the storage unit 110 stores identification information D10, material information D20, and manufacturing information D30. The prediction information generation unit 120 generates material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information for the footwear (product) corresponding to the identification information D10 based on the material information D20 and manufacturing information D30. Furthermore, the environmental indicator calculation unit 130 calculates the carbon dioxide emissions (first environmental indicator) based on the material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information, and the output unit 140 outputs the carbon dioxide emissions (first environmental indicator). Thus, it is possible to appropriately assess the carbon dioxide emissions associated with the footwear (product) desired by the user based on the condition of each type of footwear.

[0161] In the past, carbon dioxide emissions associated with a product were calculated using, for example, representative examples such as the average size of each product. However, in the environmental impact assessment system 10 and environmental impact assessment method M100 of the first embodiment of this disclosure, as described above, the emissions can be appropriately calculated based on the individual conditions of the footwear (product) as desired by the user (product category, product shape, color, and size, etc.).

[0162] In particular, footwear consists of multiple components and undergoes slight dimensional variations. Therefore, it is more effective to calculate emissions accurately based on individual circumstances rather than simply using carbon dioxide emissions as a representative example. This approach is even more effective for footwear (products) manufactured through customization, where aspects such as appearance are customized.

[0163] Furthermore, the storage unit 110 stores transportation information D40, usage information D50, and disposal information D60. The prediction information generation unit 120 generates transportation prediction information for the footwear corresponding to the identification information D10, usage prediction information for the footwear, and disposal prediction information for the footwear based on the transportation information D40, usage information D50, and disposal information D60. The environmental indicator calculation unit 130 calculates carbon dioxide emissions (a first environmental indicator) based on the transportation prediction information, usage prediction information, and disposal prediction information, and the output unit 140 outputs the carbon dioxide emissions (the first environmental indicator). Thus, it is possible to appropriately assess the carbon dioxide emissions associated with each footwear, from manufacturing (including material usage) to transportation, use (maintenance), and disposal, according to the condition of each footwear.

[0164] <Second Implementation>

[0165] Next, in the second embodiment of this disclosure, in addition to the environmental impact assessment system 10 described in the first embodiment, an environmental impact assessment system that uses performance information from a factory that manufactures footwear (products) to calculate environmental indicators will also be described.

[0166] [Structure of the Environmental Impact Assessment System]

[0167] Figure 9 This is a system overview diagram illustrating the environmental impact assessment system 20 according to the second embodiment of this disclosure. Additionally, Figure 9 In China, for the sake of Figure 2 The environmental impact assessment system 10 of the first embodiment of this disclosure has the same structure and is labeled with the same reference numerals, thus detailed description is omitted. In this embodiment, the structure that differs from the first embodiment of this disclosure is mainly described.

[0168] like Figure 9 As shown, the environmental impact assessment system 20 includes a server device 200 and a terminal 11. The server device 200 includes a storage unit 110, a prediction information generation unit 120, a performance information acquisition unit 210, an environmental indicator calculation unit 230, and an output unit 240. Furthermore, the server device 200 can also obtain user information U10 from the terminal 11, obtain material performance information A10 and manufacturing performance information A20 from the factory 21 that manufactures footwear (products), and output environmental indicators to the terminal 11.

[0169] The performance information acquisition unit 210 acquires material performance information A10 related to the materials of the manufactured footwear (performance product) and manufacturing performance information A20 related to the manufacturing of the manufactured footwear (performance product) by actually manufacturing the footwear (performance product) as desired by the user in the factory 21.

[0170] For example, the performance information acquisition unit 210 can acquire the weight data of the footwear (performance product) by measuring the weight of the manufactured footwear, or it can acquire the weight of each material used (material performance information A10) by measuring the remaining amount of each material before and after manufacturing the footwear (the weight of the tank in the 3D printer).

[0171] The performance information acquisition unit 210 can also acquire the processing time and power consumption during the manufacture of the footwear by actual measurement (information acquisition by various sensors, including time measurement using foot stamps such as weight, time, product power, or photographs). Furthermore, in the case of actual fuel consumption, the amount of fuel used and thermal efficiency can be acquired by measuring the remaining amount before and after the manufacture of the footwear (manufacturing performance information A20).

[0172] For example, if factory 21 operates using renewable energy, the performance information acquisition unit 210 can also acquire power consumption based on power generation data from solar panels during the manufacturing period of the footwear.

[0173] The environmental indicator calculation unit 230 calculates environmental indicators (second environmental indicators) related to the environmental impact associated with the manufactured footwear (performance product) based on the performance information including material performance information A10 and manufacturing performance information A20 obtained by the performance information acquisition unit 210.

[0174] For example, the environmental indicator calculation unit 230 calculates the carbon dioxide emissions (materials) using the aforementioned (number 1) based on the material performance information A10 generated by actually manufacturing the footwear (products) desired by the user in the factory 21.

[0175] Similarly, the environmental indicator calculation unit 230 calculates the carbon dioxide emissions (manufacturing) based on the manufacturing performance information A20 generated by actually manufacturing the footwear (products) desired by the user in the factory 21, using the aforementioned (number 2).

[0176] Furthermore, the environmental indicators calculation unit 230 calculates the amount of carbon dioxide emissions emitted due to the actual manufacturing (including material use) of footwear as desired by users, based on carbon dioxide emissions (materials) and carbon dioxide emissions (manufacturing).

[0177] The output unit 240 outputs the carbon dioxide emissions (second environmental indicator) calculated by the environmental indicator calculation unit 230 together with the carbon dioxide emissions (first environmental indicator) output by the output unit 140, or by updating the carbon dioxide emissions (first environmental indicator).

[0178] Figure 10 This is an example of a graph representing the amount of carbon dioxide emissions (including material / manufacturing performance) emitted over the entire lifecycle of footwear, from manufacturing (including material use) to disposal, as an environmental indicator. (Example) Figure 10 As shown, instead of using Figure 5 and Figure 7 The carbon dioxide emissions (materials) O11 and carbon dioxide emissions (manufacturing) O12 are described, while carbon dioxide emissions (materials performance) O21 and carbon dioxide emissions (manufacturing performance) O22 are shown.

[0179] use Figure 5 The carbon dioxide emissions (materials) O11 and (manufacturing) O12 described are predicted values ​​calculated based on information stored in the storage unit 110 before manufacturing the footwear desired by the user. On the other hand, the carbon dioxide emissions (materials actual) O21 and (manufacturing actual) O22 are actual values ​​calculated based on information from the actual manufacturing of the footwear desired by the user in the factory 21.

[0180] Carbon dioxide emissions O20 is the sum of carbon dioxide emissions (material performance) O21, carbon dioxide emissions (manufacturing performance) O22, carbon dioxide emissions (transportation) O13, carbon dioxide emissions (use) O14, and carbon dioxide emissions (waste) O15, representing the level of carbon dioxide emitted based on the performance values ​​in factory 21 during the expected life cycle of the footwear for the user.

[0181] For example, server device 200 can also output... Figure 10 The carbon dioxide emissions O20, O21 (material performance), O22 (manufacturing performance), O13 (transportation), O14 (use), and O15 (waste) are displayed on the screen of terminal 11 to prompt the user.

[0182] Therefore, as a user, one can actually manufacture the desired footwear and, based on the actual performance values ​​in factory 21, understand the level of carbon dioxide emissions from the manufacture (including material use) of the desired footwear until transportation, use (maintenance), and disposal. As a result, users can understand the amount of carbon dioxide emissions emitted due to the actual manufacture (including material use) of the desired footwear and, based on factors such as delivery method and delivery time, cleaning method, cleaning frequency, repair method and storage method, and disposal method, thereby realizing the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.

[0183] In this embodiment, the output unit 240 outputs carbon dioxide emissions (material performance) O21 and carbon dioxide emissions (manufacturing performance) O22 instead of carbon dioxide emissions (material performance) O11 and carbon dioxide emissions (manufacturing performance) O12, but both can also be output. For example, the user can compare the predicted value with the actual value by checking both.

[0184] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the environmental indicator calculation unit 230 calculates carbon dioxide emissions (material performance) and carbon dioxide emissions (manufacturing performance) based on material performance information A10 and manufacturing performance information A20, and the output unit 240 outputs these data. For example, if the environmental indicator calculation unit 230 calculates either carbon dioxide emissions (material performance) or carbon dioxide emissions (manufacturing performance) based on any performance information acquired by the performance information acquisition unit 210, the output unit 240 may also output the carbon dioxide emissions based on the performance information on one hand, and the usage on the other hand. Figure 5 The carbon dioxide emissions described are (materials) O11 or (manufacturing) O12.

[0185] Environmental Impact Assessment Methodology

[0186] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow of the environmental impact assessment method M200 performed by the environmental impact assessment system 20 of the second embodiment of this disclosure. For example... Figure 11 As shown, the environmental impact assessment method M200 includes steps S110, S120, and S210 to S230, each of which is performed, for example, by a processor contained in the server device 200.

[0187] Steps S110 and S120 and usage Figure 8 Steps S110 and S120 in the described environmental impact assessment method M100 are the same.

[0188] In step S210, the performance information acquisition unit 210 acquires material performance information A10 and manufacturing performance information A20. Specifically, the performance information acquisition unit 210 acquires the types and weights of materials used in manufacturing footwear in the factory 21, and acquires the processing time and electricity consumption, actual fuel consumption, and thermal efficiency consumed in manufacturing footwear in the factory 21.

[0189] In step S220, the environmental indicator calculation unit 230 calculates the environmental indicator (carbon dioxide emissions) based on the material performance information A10 and manufacturing performance information A20 obtained in step S210. Specifically, the environmental indicator calculation unit 230 calculates the carbon dioxide emissions (second environmental indicator) based on the material performance information A10 and manufacturing performance information A20 obtained in step S210 using the aforementioned (number 1) and (number 2).

[0190] In step S230, output unit 240 outputs an environmental indicator (carbon dioxide emissions). Specifically, output unit 240 outputs the carbon dioxide emissions (second environmental indicator) calculated in step S220, either together with or replacing the carbon dioxide emissions (first environmental indicator) calculated in step S120. Output unit 240 may also output the carbon dioxide emissions (second environmental indicator) together with or by updating the carbon dioxide emissions (first environmental indicator). Figure 10 The screen shown on terminal 11 is displayed as shown to prompt the user.

[0191] [Effects of the Second Embodiment]

[0192] According to the second embodiment of the environmental impact assessment system 20 and environmental impact assessment method M200 of this disclosure, in addition to the environmental impact assessment system 10 of the first embodiment of this disclosure, a performance information acquisition unit 210 is also included. The performance information acquisition unit 210 acquires material performance information A10 and manufacturing performance information A20 in the factory 21. Furthermore, the environmental indicator calculation unit 230 calculates carbon dioxide emissions (a second environmental indicator) based on the material performance information A10 and manufacturing performance information A20, and the output unit 240 outputs the carbon dioxide emissions (second environmental indicator) together with the carbon dioxide emissions (first environmental indicator) or by updating the carbon dioxide emissions (first environmental indicator). Therefore, based on the condition of each type of footwear, and further, based on the carbon dioxide emissions emitted due to the footwear as desired in actual manufacturing (including material usage), the carbon dioxide emissions associated with the footwear (product) desired by the user can be appropriately assessed.

[0193] <Third Implementation Method>

[0194] Next, in the third embodiment of this disclosure, in addition to the environmental impact assessment system 20 described in the second embodiment, an environmental impact assessment system that uses performance information from users of footwear (products) to calculate environmental indicators will also be described.

[0195] [Structure of the Environmental Impact Assessment System]

[0196] Figure 12 This is a system overview diagram illustrating the environmental impact assessment system 30 according to the third embodiment of this disclosure. Additionally, in Figure 12 In China, for the sake of Figure 2 The environmental impact assessment system 10 of the first embodiment of this disclosure shown herein and Figure 9 The environmental impact assessment system 20 of the second embodiment of this disclosure has the same structure and is labeled with the same reference numerals, therefore detailed description is omitted. In this embodiment, the structure that differs from the first and second embodiments of this disclosure is mainly described.

[0197] like Figure 12 As shown, the environmental impact assessment system 30 includes a server device 300 and a terminal 11. The server device 300 includes a storage unit 110, a prediction information generation unit 120, a performance information acquisition unit 310, an environmental indicator calculation unit 330, and an output unit 340. The server device 300 acquires user information U30 from the terminal 11. The user information U30 includes delivery performance information, maintenance performance information, usage performance information, and disposal performance information corresponding to the delivery information, maintenance information, usage information, and disposal information in the user information U10.

[0198] Figure 13 This is a diagram representing a specific example of user information U30. For example... Figure 13 As shown, user information U30 includes body information, product information, delivery performance information, maintenance performance information, usage performance information, and disposal performance information. Figure 13 The delivery performance information, maintenance performance information, usage performance information, and abandoned performance information shown in the user information U30 are consistent with... Figure 3 Compared to the delivery information, maintenance information, usage information, and disposal information in the user information U10 shown, this information is generated through actual delivery, maintenance, use, and disposal.

[0199] The delivery performance information includes information related to the delivery address, delivery method, and delivery date of the footwear (performance products) actually delivered. For example, the delivery address, delivery method, and delivery date can be entered by the user using terminal 11, or automatically set through the delivery operator's system. Here, the fuel required for delivery (electricity, diesel, or gasoline, etc.) can also be set.

[0200] The maintenance performance information includes information related to the cleaning methods, cleaning frequency, repair methods, and storage methods of the footwear (performance products) actually maintained. For example, the cleaning methods, cleaning frequency, repair methods, and storage methods can also be input by the user using terminal 11. Here, the cleaning methods can also be set to washing in a washing machine or by hand, and drying in a dryer or by sun drying. The cleaning frequency can be counted each time the user washes, or it can be set to a certain number of times within a specified period. Cleaning other than washing also includes deodorizing with a spray. In the case of textile products, repair methods also include repairs using embroidery, and the use of thread materials. Furthermore, regarding the replacement of the soles, it includes the use of materials (straps and adhesives) and the addition of power consumption caused by processing. Storage methods include the use of moisture-absorbing materials and deodorizing sprays.

[0201] The usage performance information includes information related to the intended use, walking distance, walking speed, and storage method of the footwear (performance product) actually used. For example, the intended use, walking distance, walking speed, and storage method can also be input by the user using terminal 11. Here, the usage performance information can also be retrieved using a running application installed on the user's smartphone or similar device to extract the walking history (walking distance, walking speed, etc.) while wearing the footwear (performance product).

[0202] The disposal record information includes information related to the disposal method of the footwear (disposal product) actually manufactured. For example, the disposal method can also be input by the user using terminal 11, such as normal disposal (as stipulated by the autonomous region), store recycling, or transfer.

[0203] The performance information acquisition unit 310 acquires transportation performance information A30 related to the transportation of the manufactured footwear (product) to the designated transportation destination, which is actually manufactured in the factory 21 as desired by the user.

[0204] The transportation performance information A30 includes the transportation method, transportation weight, and transportation distance obtained and calculated based on the delivery performance information in the user information U30, the weight of the manufactured footwear (performance product), and various information stored in the storage unit 110.

[0205] The performance information acquisition unit 310 acquires usage performance information A40 related to the use of the manufactured footwear (performance product) and disposal performance information A50 related to the disposal of the footwear (performance product).

[0206] The performance information A40 includes maintenance performance information based on user information U30, and further, based on the weight of the manufactured footwear (performance product) and various information stored in storage unit 110, the cleaning method, usage time, rated power, water consumption, and material consumption during repair / storage are obtained and / or calculated.

[0207] The waste performance information A50 includes the waste performance information in the user information U30, and then the waste method and waste weight obtained and / or calculated based on the weight of the manufactured footwear (performance product) and the information stored in the storage unit 110.

[0208] The environmental indicator calculation unit 330 calculates an environmental indicator (second environmental indicator) related to the environmental impact associated with the manufactured footwear (performance product) based on at least one of the performance information acquired by the performance information acquisition unit 310, including transportation performance information A30, usage performance information A40 and disposal performance information A50.

[0209] For example, the environmental indicator calculation unit 330 calculates the carbon dioxide emissions (transportation) based on the transportation performance information A30 generated by footwear (performance products) manufactured through actual transportation, using the aforementioned (number 3).

[0210] Similarly, the environmental indicator calculation unit 330 calculates the carbon dioxide emissions (use) based on the usage performance information A40 generated from footwear (performance products) manufactured through actual maintenance, using the aforementioned (number 4).

[0211] Similarly, the environmental indicator calculation unit 330 calculates the carbon dioxide emissions (waste) based on the waste performance information A50 generated by the actual waste of footwear (actual products) manufactured through actual waste disposal, using the aforementioned (number 5).

[0212] The output unit 340 outputs the carbon dioxide emissions (second environmental indicator) calculated by the environmental indicator calculation unit 330 together with the carbon dioxide emissions (first environmental indicator) output by the output unit 140, or by updating the carbon dioxide emissions (first environmental indicator).

[0213] Figure 14 This is a graph that represents an example of an environmental indicator showing the amount of carbon dioxide emissions (including material usage, manufacturing, transportation, use, and disposal) emitted throughout the lifecycle of footwear, from manufacturing (including material use) to disposal. (See example...) Figure 14 As shown, instead of using Figure 7 and Figure 10The figures described are CO2 emissions (transport) O13, CO2 emissions (use) O14, and CO2 emissions (waste) O15, while CO2 emissions (transportation record) O33, CO2 emissions (use record) O34, and CO2 emissions (waste record) O35 are displayed.

[0214] use Figure 7 The CO2 emissions (transportation) O13, CO2 emissions (use) O14, and CO2 emissions (disposal) O15 described are predicted values ​​calculated based on user information U10 and various information stored in storage unit 110 before manufacturing the footwear as desired by the user. On the other hand, CO2 emissions (transportation performance) O33, CO2 emissions (use performance) O34, and CO2 emissions (disposal performance) O35 are performance values ​​calculated based on various information from the actual transportation, maintenance, and disposal of manufactured footwear (performance products).

[0215] Carbon dioxide emissions O30 is the sum of carbon dioxide emissions (materials performance) O21, carbon dioxide emissions (manufacturing performance) O22, carbon dioxide emissions (transportation performance) O33, carbon dioxide emissions (use performance) O34, and carbon dioxide emissions (waste performance) O35, representing the level of carbon dioxide emissions based on each performance value over the life cycle of the manufactured footwear (performance product).

[0216] For example, server device 300 can also output... Figure 14 The carbon dioxide emissions O30, O21 (material emissions), O22 (manufacturing emissions), O33 (transportation emissions), O34 (usage emissions), and O35 (waste emissions) are displayed on the screen of terminal 11 to prompt the user.

[0217] Therefore, as a user, one can appropriately control the level of carbon dioxide emissions from the manufacturing (including material use) of footwear to transportation, use (maintenance) and disposal based on the performance values ​​throughout its life cycle.

[0218] Additionally, here, output unit 340 outputs CO2 emissions (transportation) O33, CO2 emissions (usage) O34, and CO2 emissions (waste) O35 instead of CO2 emissions (transportation performance) O13, CO2 emissions (usage performance) O14, and CO2 emissions (waste) O15, but it could also output both. For example, the user can compare the predicted value with the actual value by checking both. As a result, the user can understand the impact of their own movement on CO2 emissions.

[0219] Furthermore, here, the environmental indicator calculation unit 330 calculates carbon dioxide emissions (transportation performance), carbon dioxide emissions (use), and carbon dioxide emissions (waste performance) based on transportation performance information A30, usage performance information A40, and waste performance information A50, and the output unit 340 outputs these data. For example, if the environmental indicator calculation unit 330 calculates at least one of carbon dioxide emissions (transportation performance), carbon dioxide emissions (use), and carbon dioxide emissions (waste performance) based on at least one performance information acquired by the performance information acquisition unit 310, the output unit 340 may also output the carbon dioxide emissions based on the calculated at least one performance information. In addition, the environmental indicator calculation unit 330 may also output usage performance data. Figure 7 The carbon dioxide emissions described are (transport) O13, (use) O14, and (waste) O15.

[0220] Environmental Impact Assessment Methodology

[0221] Figure 15 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow of the environmental impact assessment method M300 performed by the environmental impact assessment system 30 according to the third embodiment of this disclosure. For example... Figure 15 As shown, the environmental impact assessment method M300 includes steps S110, S120, S210 to S230 and S310 to S340, each step of which is performed, for example, by a processor contained in the server device 300.

[0222] Steps S110 and S120 and usage Figure 8 Steps S110 and S120 in the described environmental impact assessment method M100 are the same.

[0223] Steps S210 to S230 and usage Figure 11 Steps S210 to S230 in the described environmental impact assessment method M200 are the same.

[0224] In step S310, the server device 300 determines whether the user information has been updated. If the user information has been updated ("Yes" in step S310), the process proceeds to step S320. Specifically, the server device 300 proceeds to step S320 after inputting (updating) the delivery performance information, maintenance performance information, and discarded performance information contained in the user information U30 into the terminal 11, the EC website, and the delivery operator's system.

[0225] In step S320, the performance information acquisition unit 310 acquires updated user information (performance information). Specifically, the performance information acquisition unit 310 acquires transportation performance information A30, usage performance information A40, and discarded performance information A50 based on the user information (performance information) entered (updated) in the terminal 11, the EC website, and the delivery operator's system.

[0226] In step S330, the environmental indicator calculation unit 330 calculates the environmental indicator (carbon dioxide emissions) based on the transportation performance information A30, usage performance information A40, and waste performance information A50 obtained in step S320. Specifically, the environmental indicator calculation unit 330 calculates the carbon dioxide emissions (second environmental indicator) using the aforementioned (numbers 3) to (numbers 5) based on the transportation performance information A30, usage performance information A40, and waste performance information A50 obtained in step S320.

[0227] In step S340, the output unit 340 outputs (updates) the environmental indicator (carbon dioxide emissions). Specifically, the output unit 340 outputs, along with or in place of the carbon dioxide emissions (first environmental indicator and / or second environmental indicator) output in step S230, the carbon dioxide emissions calculated in step S330 (second environmental indicator). Alternatively, the output unit 340 may output the carbon dioxide emissions (second environmental indicator) along with or by updating the carbon dioxide emissions (first environmental indicator). Figure 14 The screen displayed on terminal 11, as shown, is presented to the user.

[0228] [Effects of the Third Embodiment]

[0229] According to the third embodiment of the environmental impact assessment system 30 and environmental impact assessment method M300 of this disclosure, in addition to the environmental impact assessment system 10 of the first embodiment of this disclosure, a performance information acquisition unit 310 is also included. This performance information acquisition unit 310 acquires transportation performance information A30, usage performance information A40, and disposal performance information A50 of the manufactured footwear (performance product). Furthermore, the environmental indicator calculation unit 330 calculates carbon dioxide emissions (a second environmental indicator) based on the transportation performance information A30, usage performance information A40, and disposal performance information A50. The output unit 340 outputs the carbon dioxide emissions (second environmental indicator) together with the carbon dioxide emissions (first environmental indicator) or by updating the carbon dioxide emissions (first environmental indicator). Therefore, based on the condition of each type of footwear, and further based on the carbon dioxide emissions emitted due to the actual manufacture (including material use) and actual transportation, use, and disposal of the desired footwear, the carbon dioxide emissions associated with the footwear (product) desired by the user can be appropriately assessed.

[0230] <Variation Example 1>

[0231] Figure 16 This is a graph showing the predicted and actual values ​​of footwear (products) before and after manufacturing, based on the user's desired material and manufacturing information. For example... Figure 16 As shown, there are discrepancies between the material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information before footwear manufacturing and the actual material performance information and manufacturing performance information of the manufactured footwear.

[0232] The material prediction information contains information about the materials (material type and weight) required to manufacture the footwear desired by the user, and is generated, for example, by the prediction information generation unit 120 based on the information stored in the storage unit 110. That is, the material prediction information is a prediction value before the actual manufacture of the footwear.

[0233] Material performance information includes information about the materials used in the manufacture of the footwear (material type and weight). In other words, material performance information is the actual performance value of the manufactured footwear; a difference arises when compared with the predicted material performance information, which serves as a forecast.

[0234] The manufacturing forecast information includes information on the processing time, fuel consumption, rated power, and thermal efficiency required to manufacture the footwear desired by the user, and is generated, for example, by the forecast information generation unit 120 based on the information stored in the storage unit 110. In other words, the manufacturing forecast information is a prediction value prior to the actual manufacture of the footwear.

[0235] Manufacturing performance information includes data on processing time, fuel consumption, rated power, and thermal efficiency in footwear manufacturing. In other words, manufacturing performance information represents the actual performance of footwear manufactured; a difference arises when compared to manufacturing forecast information, which serves as a prediction.

[0236] The environmental impact assessment system disclosed herein may include a prediction model that is updated by learning the difference between material prediction information and material performance information, and the difference between manufacturing prediction information and manufacturing performance information, or it may be a structure of the prediction model that can access external systems. Furthermore, the prediction information generation unit 120 may also use the prediction model to generate material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information.

[0237] [The effect of variation 1]

[0238] As described above, if a prediction model updated by learning the difference between predicted and actual values ​​is used, the accuracy of the material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information generated by the prediction information generation unit 120 is improved. The environmental indicator calculation unit 130 calculates carbon dioxide emissions based on the material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information generated by the prediction information generation unit 120, thus improving the accuracy of the calculated carbon dioxide emissions. As a result, even before manufacturing footwear (products), users can obtain a highly accurate calculation of carbon dioxide emissions.

[0239] In addition, material information and manufacturing information are used as examples here, but it is not limited to these. For example, for transportation information, usage information and disposal information, prediction models that are updated by learning the difference between predicted values ​​and actual values ​​can also be used.

[0240] <Variation Example 2>

[0241] Figure 17 This is an example of a graph representing the amount of carbon dioxide emissions (as assigned a rating) emitted throughout the lifecycle of footwear, from manufacturing (including material use) to disposal, as an environmental indicator. For example... Figure 17 As shown, carbon dioxide emissions for each process and the entire product lifecycle are assigned a rating. Here, the rating indicates the reliability of the environmental indicator.

[0242] The environmental impact assessment system disclosed herein may also include a rating determination unit for determining the rating level. Furthermore, the rating determination unit may also determine the rating level representing the reliability of the carbon dioxide emissions calculated by the environmental indicator calculation unit 130, environmental indicator calculation unit 230, and environmental indicator calculation unit 330.

[0243] For example, when the prediction information generation unit 120 generates prediction information using the prediction model, the rating determination unit can assign a high rating to the carbon dioxide emissions calculated by the environmental indicator calculation unit 130 based on the prediction information, according to the number of times the prediction model has been updated. Furthermore, when calculating the overall carbon dioxide emissions, the rating determination unit can assign a high rating based on the proportion of carbon dioxide emissions calculated in each process using the performance information acquired by the performance information acquisition unit 210 and the performance information acquisition unit 310. Alternatively, the same evaluation can be performed regarding the basic unit. For example, by using basic unit data based on the inherent life cycle assessment (LCA) results of each supplier, rather than the industry average basic unit data, reliability can be further improved.

[0244] Figure 17 In this case, since actual performance information was used to calculate CO2 emissions (material performance) O21, CO2 emissions (manufacturing performance) O22, and CO2 emissions (transportation performance) O33, the rating department assigned a high rating [A]. Although CO2 emissions O40 includes CO2 emissions (manufacturing performance) O22 and CO2 emissions (transportation performance) of rating [A], it includes CO2 emissions (use) and CO2 emissions (disposal) of rating [B], so the rating department assigned a rating [B].

[0245] [Effect of Variation Example 2]

[0246] As described above, by assigning a grade to the carbon dioxide emissions calculated by the environmental indicator calculation unit 130, environmental indicator calculation unit 230, and environmental indicator calculation unit 330, and displaying this grade on the screen of terminal 11 to prompt the user, the user can grasp the reliability of the carbon dioxide emissions of each process and the overall emissions throughout the life cycle of the footwear (product). Furthermore, by inputting performance information, the user can also improve the grade of the carbon dioxide emissions calculated based on the performance information, thus making it an element that allows the user to input performance information.

[0247] <Variation Example 3>

[0248] The environmental impact assessment system disclosed herein may also include a life prediction unit for predicting the lifespan of footwear (products). While the environmental impact assessment system of this disclosure contains various information for calculating carbon dioxide emissions, the life prediction unit may also utilize this information to predict the lifespan of footwear (products).

[0249] For example, the life prediction department can be based on Figure 3The user information U10 shown contains body information (height, weight, foot size and foot shape) and product information (product category, product shape and color) to predict the lifespan of the footwear.

[0250] The lifespan prediction department can accurately predict the lifespan of the footwear by taking into account maintenance information (cleaning method, cleaning frequency, repair method, and storage method) and usage information (purpose of use, walking distance, walking speed, and storage method).

[0251] Furthermore, the lifespan prediction unit can also incorporate user performance information to update the predicted lifespan of the footwear. For example, the lifespan prediction unit can be based on... Figure 13 The maintenance performance information (cleaning method, cleaning frequency, repair method, and storage method) and usage performance information (use purpose, walking distance, walking speed, and storage method) contained in the user information U30 shown are used to more accurately predict the lifespan of the footwear.

[0252] [Effect of Variation Example 3]

[0253] As mentioned above, by informing users about the lifespan of footwear (products), users can appropriately determine when to purchase or replace their footwear (products).

[0254] Furthermore, by updating the predicted lifespan of footwear based on user performance information, users can understand how their own movement affects the lifespan of the footwear (product). As an environmental impact assessment system disclosed herein, it also provides users with factors that can extend the lifespan of footwear (products).

[0255] Furthermore, predictive models can also be used to estimate the lifespan of footwear. These models are updated by learning from predictions made immediately after the footwear is manufactured, predictions made incorporating user feedback (updated values), and the final performance value upon disposal. This allows users to accurately predict the lifespan of the footwear early in their use.

[0256] In other words, machine learning using regression models is performed on a set of actual input and output data to improve accuracy. For example, during use, the lifespan or maintenance frequency (including cleaning) of a user can be predicted, and environmental impact assessments (including calculations of carbon dioxide emissions) can be performed based on the predicted data. Furthermore, when purchasing new products, the predicted data can be compared with individual identification and past performance data, thus further increasing accuracy.

[0257] [Summary of the effects of this disclosure]

[0258] According to this disclosure, by calculating the carbon dioxide emissions over the product's life cycle, it is possible to appropriately assess the environmental impact associated with the product as desired by the user, based on the condition of each product.

[0259] Furthermore, in the various embodiments of this disclosure, carbon dioxide emissions are cited as an example as environmental indicators (first environmental indicator and second environmental indicator), but this is not a limitation. For example, as an indicator for assessing the environmental load of a product or business activity, it can also be obtained based on at least one of the following as shown in Environmental Footprint (EF) 3.0: carbon dioxide emissions, impact on land and soil, fossil fuel use, mineral and metal use, water use, impact on freshwater ecosystems, nutrient emissions into freshwater systems, impact on acidification, nutrient emissions into marine systems, nutrient emissions into terrestrial ecosystems, photochemical ozone emissions, impact on the respiratory system, emissions of radioactive materials, emissions of carcinogenic substances, emissions of non-carcinogenic and highly toxic substances, and impact on ozone layer depletion.

[0260] Figure 18 This is a diagram illustrating the overview of the product management system 400. The product management system 400 can centrally manage information related to manufacturing, sales, utilization, and repair. This allows manufacturers to ensure process transparency, develop using various data, and innovate their businesses. Furthermore, users can enjoy more personalized product purchases and after-sales services.

[0261] Furthermore, the product management system 400 according to the embodiments of this disclosure enables the management of product manufacturers, thus making counterfeit product countermeasures, such as the identification of counterfeit products, possible. For example, the administrator of the product management system 400 can identify products that do not have identification information attached to genuine products, products that have identification information different from genuine products, or products that cannot be associated with product management information for managing genuine products as counterfeit products.

[0262] [Example]

[0263] (1) An environmental impact assessment system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure assesses the environmental impact associated with a product that is any one of clothing, footwear, and apparel. The environmental impact assessment system includes: a storage unit storing identification information, material information related to the material of the product, and manufacturing information related to the manufacture of the product, wherein the identification information is identification information that identifies the product and is associated with product association information corresponding to a user using the product; a prediction information generation unit generating prediction information based on the material information and the manufacturing information, wherein the prediction information includes material prediction information related to the material of the product and manufacturing prediction information related to the manufacture of the product generated by manufacturing the product corresponding to the identification information; an environmental indicator calculation unit calculating a first environmental indicator related to the environmental impact associated with the product based on the prediction information including the material prediction information and the manufacturing prediction information; and an output unit outputting the calculated first environmental indicator.

[0264] According to the environmental impact assessment system described in (1), the storage unit stores identification information, material information, and manufacturing information of the identified product. The prediction information generation unit generates material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information for the product based on the material information and manufacturing information. Furthermore, the environmental indicator calculation unit calculates a first environmental indicator based on the material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information, and the output unit outputs the first environmental indicator. For example, by displaying the first environmental indicator output by the output unit on the screen of a user terminal, the user can understand the environmental impact associated with the desired product corresponding to the identification information. Thus, the environmental impact associated with the user's desired product can be appropriately assessed based on the condition of each product.

[0265] (2) In the environmental impact assessment system described in (1), the storage unit may further store at least one of the following: transportation information related to the transportation of the product, usage information related to the use of the product, and waste information related to the disposal of the product. The prediction information generation unit generates prediction information based on at least one of the transportation information, usage information, and waste information. The prediction information includes at least one of the following: transportation prediction information related to transportation generated by transporting the product corresponding to the identification information, usage prediction information related to the use of the product generated by using the product, and waste prediction information related to the disposal of the product generated by discarding the product. The environmental indicator calculation unit calculates the first environmental indicator based on the prediction information that includes at least one of the following: transportation prediction information, usage prediction information, and waste prediction information, in addition to the material prediction information and the manufacturing prediction information.

[0266] According to the environmental impact assessment system described in (2), the environmental indicator calculation unit calculates a first environmental indicator based on at least one of the following forecast information: in addition to material forecast information and manufacturing forecast information, it also includes transportation forecast information, usage forecast information, and disposal forecast information. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately assess the environmental impact related to the user's desired product from manufacturing (including material usage) to transportation, use (maintenance), and disposal, based on the condition of each product.

[0267] (3) The environmental impact assessment system described in (1) or (2) may also further include: a performance information acquisition unit, which acquires performance information, the performance information including at least one of material performance information related to the materials used in manufacturing the product and manufacturing performance information related to the manufacturing of the product; the environmental indicator calculation unit calculates a second environmental indicator related to the environmental impact associated with the product based on the performance information including at least one of the material performance information and the manufacturing performance information; and the output unit outputs the calculated second environmental indicator together with the first environmental indicator or by updating the first environmental indicator.

[0268] According to the environmental impact assessment system described in (3), the environmental indicator calculation unit calculates a second environmental indicator related to the environmental impact associated with the actual product based on at least one of the performance information, including material performance information and manufacturing performance information. Thus, based on the condition of each product, and further based on the environmental impact caused by the product as desired through actual manufacturing (including material usage), the environmental impact associated with the product desired by the user can be appropriately assessed.

[0269] (4) In the environmental impact assessment system described in (3), the performance information acquisition unit may further acquire performance information including transportation performance information, which is related to the transportation of the performance product to the designated transportation destination. The environmental indicator calculation unit calculates the second environmental indicator based on the performance information including at least one of the material performance information and the manufacturing performance information, as well as the transportation performance information. The output unit outputs the calculated second environmental indicator together with the first environmental indicator or by updating the first environmental indicator.

[0270] According to the environmental impact assessment system described in (4), the environmental indicator calculation unit calculates a second environmental indicator based on performance information including transportation performance information in addition to at least one of material performance information and manufacturing performance information. The output unit outputs the calculated second environmental indicator together with the first environmental indicator or by updating the first environmental indicator. Thus, based on the condition of each product, and further based on the environmental impact caused by transporting the product, it is possible to appropriately assess the environmental impact related to the product as desired by the user.

[0271] (5) In the environmental impact assessment system described in (3) or (4), the performance information acquisition unit may further acquire performance information including at least one of usage performance information and disposal performance information. The usage performance information comes from users who have used the performance product and is related to the use of the performance product. The disposal performance information comes from users who have disposed of the performance product and is related to the disposal of the performance product. The environmental indicator calculation unit calculates the second environmental indicator based on performance information including at least one of the material performance information and the manufacturing performance information, as well as at least one of the usage performance information and the disposal information. The output unit outputs the calculated second environmental indicator together with the first environmental indicator or by updating the first environmental indicator.

[0272] According to the environmental impact assessment system described in (5), the environmental indicator calculation unit calculates a second environmental indicator based on performance information including at least one of material performance information and manufacturing performance information, as well as at least one of usage performance information and disposal performance information. The output unit outputs the calculated second environmental indicator together with the first environmental indicator or by updating the first environmental indicator. Thus, based on the condition of each product, and further based on the environmental impact caused by the use and disposal of the product, it is possible to appropriately assess the environmental impact associated with the product as desired by the user.

[0273] (6) The environmental impact assessment system described in any one of (3) to (5) may also include: a prediction model that is updated by learning the difference between the prediction information and the actual information, and the prediction information generation unit uses the prediction model to generate the prediction information.

[0274] According to the environmental impact assessment system described in (6), the prediction information generation unit uses a prediction model to generate prediction information, thus improving the accuracy of the first environmental indicator calculated based on the prediction information. Therefore, even before manufacturing the product, the user can obtain a highly accurate first environmental indicator.

[0275] (7) The environmental impact assessment system described in (6) may also include: a level determination unit, which determines the level of reliability of the first environmental indicator and / or the second environmental indicator that is prompted to the user by the output unit, and assigns a high level to the first environmental indicator calculated based on the prediction information generated using the updated prediction model, according to the number of updates.

[0276] According to the environmental impact assessment system described in (7), the rating determination unit assigns a rating based on the reliability of the first environmental indicator and / or the second environmental indicator. Thus, as a user, one can appropriately assess the environmental impact associated with the product as desired by the user, based on the reliability of the first environmental indicator and / or the second environmental indicator, and according to the condition of each product.

[0277] Environmental metrics are indicated by QR codes on the product itself, labels, casing, etc., allowing users to verify the data using the application. Furthermore, in addition to environmental metrics, information related to the country of manufacture, raw material suppliers, manufacturing suppliers, manufacturing date, and transportation routes can also be verified. For example, a Digital Product Passport (DPP) records information related to the product's sustainability or circular economy, including the manufacturing source, materials used, recyclability, and disassembly methods, ensuring traceability throughout the product's entire lifecycle. This includes information such as where the raw materials were mined, where they were processed, where the final product was produced, how and along what routes the product was transported during this period, how much carbon dioxide was emitted, how much recycled material was contained, how many Substances of Concern (SOCs) were used, and the product's repairability and durability.

[0278] (8) The environmental impact assessment system described in any one of (3) to (7) may also include: a rating determination unit, which determines the rating of the reliability of the first environmental indicator and / or the second environmental indicator provided to the user by the output unit, wherein the rating determination unit assigns a high rating to the first environmental indicator and / or the second environmental indicator based on the proportion of the performance information obtained by the performance information acquisition unit used to calculate the first environmental indicator and / or the second environmental indicator.

[0279] According to the environmental impact assessment system described in (8), the rating determination unit assigns a rating based on the reliability of the first environmental indicator and / or the second environmental indicator. Thus, as a user, one can appropriately assess the environmental impact associated with the product as desired by the user, based on the reliability of the first environmental indicator and / or the second environmental indicator, and according to the condition of each product.

[0280] (9) In any one of (1) to (8) of the environmental impact assessment system, when the product is footwear, the identification information of the product has identification information for the left foot and the right foot respectively.

[0281] According to the environmental impact assessment system described in (9), when the product is footwear, there is identification information for the left foot and the right foot respectively, so it is possible to appropriately obtain information associated with the identification information of the left foot and the right foot respectively. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately assess the environmental impact associated with the product as desired by the user, based on the condition of each product.

[0282] (10) In any one of the environmental impact assessment systems described in (1) to (9), the first environmental indicator may also be obtained based on at least one of the following: carbon dioxide emissions, impact on land and soil, fossil fuel use, mineral and metal use, water use, impact on freshwater ecosystems, nutrient emissions into freshwater systems, impact on acidification, nutrient emissions into marine systems, nutrient emissions into terrestrial ecosystems, photochemical ozone emissions, impact on the respiratory system, radioactive material emissions, carcinogenic material emissions, non-carcinogenic and highly toxic material emissions, and impact on ozone layer depletion. Furthermore, as an environmental indicator, it can also be applied to projects other than those exemplified herein or to projects newly added in the future.

[0283] According to the environmental impact assessment system described in (10), environmental indicators can be assessed based on various projects.

[0284] (11) An environmental impact assessment method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is performed by an environmental impact assessment system that assesses the environmental impact associated with a product that is any of clothing, footwear, or apparel, wherein identification information, material information related to the material of the product, and manufacturing information related to the manufacture of the product are acquired and stored in a storage unit, wherein the identification information is identification information that identifies the product and is associated with product association information corresponding to a user of the product, prediction information is generated based on the material information and the manufacturing information, the prediction information includes material prediction information related to the material of the product and manufacturing prediction information related to the manufacture of the product generated by manufacturing the product corresponding to the identification information, and the prediction information including the material prediction information and the manufacturing prediction information is used to calculate a first environmental indicator related to the environmental impact associated with the product, and the calculated first environmental indicator is output.

[0285] According to the environmental impact assessment method described in (11), the storage unit stores identification information, material information, and manufacturing information of the product. In the environmental impact assessment method, material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information of the product are generated based on the material information and manufacturing information. Furthermore, in the environmental impact assessment method, a first environmental indicator is calculated and output based on the material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately assess the environmental impact related to the product desired by the user, based on the condition of each product.

[0286] (12) An environmental impact assessment procedure according to another embodiment of the present disclosure enables a computer to perform an environmental impact assessment method for assessing the environmental impact associated with a product that is any of clothing, footwear, and apparel, wherein: identification information, material information related to the material of the product, and manufacturing information related to the manufacture of the product are obtained and stored in a storage unit, wherein the identification information is identification information that identifies the product and is associated with product association information corresponding to a user of the product; prediction information is generated based on the material information and the manufacturing information, the prediction information including material prediction information related to the material of the product and manufacturing prediction information related to the manufacture of the product generated by manufacturing the product corresponding to the identification information; a first environmental indicator related to the environmental impact associated with the product is calculated based on the prediction information including the material prediction information and the manufacturing prediction information; and the calculated first environmental indicator is output.

[0287] According to the environmental impact assessment procedure described in (12), identification information, material information, and manufacturing information of the product are stored in the storage unit. In the environmental impact assessment procedure, material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information of the product are generated based on the material information and manufacturing information. Furthermore, in the environmental impact assessment procedure, a first environmental indicator is calculated and output based on the material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately assess the environmental impact related to the product as desired by the user, based on the condition of each product.

[0288] (13) In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a storage medium storing an environmental impact assessment program is provided, wherein the environmental impact assessment program causes a computer to execute an environmental impact assessment method for assessing the environmental impact associated with a product that is any of clothing, footwear, or apparel, wherein the environmental impact assessment program stored in the storage medium obtains identification information, material information related to the material of the product, and manufacturing information related to the manufacture of the product stored in the storage unit, wherein the identification information is identification information that identifies the product and is associated with product association information corresponding to a user of the product, and predictive information is generated based on the material information and the manufacturing information, wherein the predictive information includes material prediction information related to the material of the product generated by manufacturing the product corresponding to the identification information and manufacturing prediction information related to the manufacture of the product, and a first environmental indicator related to the environmental impact associated with the product is calculated based on the predictive information including the material prediction information and the manufacturing prediction information, and the calculated first environmental indicator is output.

[0289] According to the storage medium described in (13), an environmental impact assessment program stored in the storage medium stores identification information, material information, and manufacturing information of the product in the storage unit. In the environmental impact assessment program, material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information of the product are generated based on the material information and manufacturing information. Furthermore, in the environmental impact assessment program, a first environmental indicator is calculated and output based on the material prediction information and manufacturing prediction information. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately assess the environmental impact associated with the product desired by the user, according to the condition of each product.

[0290] The embodiments described above are for the purpose of understanding this disclosure and are not intended to limit the interpretation of this disclosure. The various elements, their configurations, materials, conditions, shapes, and dimensions included in the embodiments are not limited to those illustrated and can be appropriately modified. Moreover, the structures shown in different embodiments can be partially substituted or combined with each other.

[0291] [Industry availability]

[0292] This disclosure is useful for systems for assessing the environmental impact associated with products that are clothing, footwear, or apparel.

Claims

1. An environmental impact assessment system for assessing the environmental impact associated with a product that is any of clothing, footwear, or apparel. The environmental impact assessment system includes: The storage unit stores identification information, material information, and manufacturing information. The identification information identifies the product and is associated with product-related information corresponding to a user using the product. The material information is related to the material of the product, and the manufacturing information is related to the manufacturing process of the product. The prediction information generation unit generates prediction information based on the material information and the manufacturing information. The prediction information includes material prediction information related to the material of the product generated by manufacturing the product corresponding to the identification information, and manufacturing prediction information related to the manufacturing of the product. The environmental indicator calculation unit calculates a first environmental indicator related to the environmental impact associated with the product, based on forecast information including the material forecast information and the manufacturing forecast information; and The output unit outputs the calculated first environmental index.

2. The environmental impact assessment system according to claim 1, wherein... The storage unit further stores at least one of the following: transportation information related to the transportation of the product, usage information related to the use of the product, and disposal information related to the disposal of the product. The prediction information generation unit generates prediction information based on at least one of the transportation information, the usage information, and the disposal information. The prediction information includes at least one of the following: transportation prediction information related to transportation generated by transporting the product corresponding to the identification information; usage prediction information related to the use of the product generated by using the product; and disposal prediction information related to the disposal of the product generated by discarding the product. The environmental indicator calculation unit calculates the first environmental indicator based on at least one of the following prediction information, which includes, in addition to the material prediction information and the manufacturing prediction information: transportation prediction information, usage prediction information, and waste prediction information.

3. The environmental impact assessment system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: The performance information acquisition unit acquires performance information, which includes at least one of the following: material performance information related to the materials used in manufacturing the product, and manufacturing performance information related to the manufacturing of the product. The environmental indicator calculation unit calculates a second environmental indicator related to the environmental impact associated with the product in question, based on at least one of the performance information including the material performance information and the manufacturing performance information. The output unit outputs the calculated second environmental indicator together with the first environmental indicator or in a manner that updates the first environmental indicator.

4. The environmental impact assessment system according to claim 3, wherein... The performance information acquisition unit then acquires performance information including transportation performance information, which is related to the transportation of the performance product to the designated transportation destination. The environmental indicator calculation unit calculates the second environmental indicator based on performance information that includes at least one of the material performance information and the manufacturing performance information, as well as the transportation performance information. The output unit outputs the calculated second environmental indicator together with the first environmental indicator or in a manner that updates the first environmental indicator.

5. The environmental impact assessment system according to claim 3, wherein... The performance information acquisition unit then acquires performance information including at least one of usage performance information and abandonment performance information. The usage performance information comes from users who have used the performance product and is related to the use of the performance product. The abandonment performance information comes from users who have abandoned the performance product and is related to the abandonment of the performance product. The environmental indicator calculation unit calculates the second environmental indicator based on performance information including at least one of the following: material performance information and manufacturing performance information, as well as at least one of the following: usage performance information and waste performance information. The output unit outputs the calculated second environmental indicator together with the first environmental indicator or in a manner that updates the first environmental indicator.

6. The environmental impact assessment system according to claim 3, further comprising: The predictive model is updated by learning the difference between the predicted information and the actual performance information. The prediction information generation unit uses the prediction model to generate the prediction information.

7. The environmental impact assessment system according to claim 6, further comprising: The rating determination unit determines the reliability rating of the first environmental indicator and / or the second environmental indicator that is provided to the user by the output unit. The rating determination unit assigns a high rating to the first environmental indicator calculated based on the prediction information generated using the updated prediction model, according to the number of updates.

8. The environmental impact assessment system according to claim 3, further comprising: The rating determination unit determines the reliability rating of the first environmental indicator and / or the second environmental indicator that is provided to the user by the output unit. The rating determination unit assigns a high rating to the first environmental indicator and / or the second environmental indicator based on the proportion of the performance information obtained by the performance information acquisition unit that is used to calculate the first environmental indicator and / or the second environmental indicator.

9. The environmental impact assessment system according to claim 1, wherein... When the product is footwear, the identification information for identifying the product has separate identification information for left-foot and right-foot use.

10. The environmental impact assessment system according to claim 1, wherein... The first environmental indicator is obtained based on at least one of the following: carbon dioxide emissions, impact on land and soil, fossil fuel use, mineral and metal use, water use, impact on freshwater ecosystems, nutrient emissions into freshwater systems, impact on acidification, nutrient emissions into marine systems, nutrient emissions into terrestrial ecosystems, photochemical ozone emissions, impact on the respiratory system, radioactive material emissions, carcinogenic material emissions, non-carcinogenic and highly toxic material emissions, and impact on ozone layer depletion.

11. An environmental impact assessment method, performed by an environmental impact assessment system that assesses the environmental impacts associated with a product as any of clothing, footwear, or apparel. The environmental impact assessment method mentioned above The system retrieves identification information, material information, and manufacturing information stored in the storage unit. The identification information identifies the product and is associated with product-related information corresponding to a user using the product. The material information is related to the material of the product, and the manufacturing information is related to the manufacturing process of the product. Predictive information is generated based on the material information and the manufacturing information. This predictive information includes material prediction information related to the material of the product generated by manufacturing the product corresponding to the identification information, and manufacturing prediction information related to the manufacturing of the product. Based on the forecast information including the material forecast information and the manufacturing forecast information, a first environmental indicator related to the environmental impact associated with the product is calculated. Output the calculated first environmental index.

12. A storage medium storing an environmental impact assessment program, said environmental impact assessment program causing a computer to execute an environmental impact assessment method for assessing the environmental impact associated with a product that is any of clothing, footwear, or apparel. In the aforementioned environmental impact assessment procedure The system retrieves identification information, material information, and manufacturing information stored in the storage unit. The identification information identifies the product and is associated with product-related information corresponding to a user using the product. The material information is related to the material of the product, and the manufacturing information is related to the manufacturing process of the product. Predictive information is generated based on the material information and the manufacturing information. This predictive information includes material prediction information related to the material of the product generated by manufacturing the product corresponding to the identification information, and manufacturing prediction information related to the manufacturing of the product. Based on the forecast information including the material forecast information and the manufacturing forecast information, a first environmental indicator related to the environmental impact associated with the product is calculated. Output the calculated first environmental index.

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