Method for managing recycled resin material and method for manufacturing polyolefin-based resin molded product using the same

Abstract

To provide a method for managing a recycled resin material obtained from a recovered polyolefin resin molded product, and a method for manufacturing a new polyolefin resin molded product using the recycled resin material.SOLUTION: There is provided a method for managing a recycled resin material, comprising: preparing a recovered polyolefin resin molded article; processing the recovered material through a recovered material processing process that includes crushing and washing to obtain a batch of recycled resin materials; assigning identifiers to the resulting batch of recycled resin materials; and linking information related to a physical property of a group of recycled resin materials corresponding to the identifiers. There is also provided a method for manufacturing a new polyolefin resin molded product, comprising: accessing information relating to a physical property of a batch of a recycled resin material using the method for managing the recycled resin material described above; selecting a group of recycled resin materials based on the information and calculating a blending amount thereof; and blending resin materials based on the calculated blending amount.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for managing recycled resin materials and a method for producing polyolefin resin molded products using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, containers made of synthetic resins, so-called plastic containers, have been widely used for various purposes. In recent years, in response to social demand, technology has been considered for recovering used and discarded containers and reusing them as recycled resin materials.

[0003] In material recycling, in which used plastic containers collected are reused as recycled resin materials to manufacture new containers, it is necessary to select plastics made of desired resin materials. It is known that plastics can be selected by gravity separation, which utilizes the difference in specific gravity between the plastics (see, for example, Patent Document 1). For example, when collecting PET beverage bottles and reusing them as recycled resin material to manufacture new PET bottles, the PET bottles are crushed into flakes, and then the PET flakes can be separated by gravity into PET flakes and flakes other than PET, such as the plastics that make up the flakes for caps and labels made from polyolefin resins. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-234812 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Even if plastic products are made of the same resin material, there are some that have different physical properties. For example, in the case of a bottle-shaped container in which the container body is molded using a polyolefin-based resin, the lid that seals the container body may also be molded using a polyolefin-based resin, and these may use polyolefin-based resins with different physical properties. Plastic products made of the same resin material cannot be separated by specific gravity. When products with different physical properties are mixed, such as a mixture of container bodies and lids, in a recovered product that has been recovered for reuse, there is a risk that the physical properties of a newly manufactured molded product using recycled resin materials obtained from the recovered products will vary. In addition, depending on the configuration of the molded products contained in the recovered products, there is a risk that a molded product with the desired physical properties will not be obtained.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a method for managing recycled resin materials obtained from recovered polyolefin resin molded products, and a method for producing new polyolefin resin molded products using recycled resin materials. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, one embodiment of the present invention is a method for managing recycled resin materials, which includes preparing recovered polyolefin-based resin molded products, processing the recovered polyolefin-based resin molded products through a recovered product processing process that includes crushing and cleaning to obtain a group of recycled resin materials, assigning an identifier to each of the obtained groups of recycled resin materials, and linking the identifiers to information related to the physical properties of the corresponding groups of recycled resin materials.

[0008] Moreover, one embodiment of the present invention is a method for producing a polyolefin-based resin molded product using the above-mentioned recycled resin material management method, which includes accessing information related to the physical properties of the group of recycled resin materials, selecting the group of recycled resin materials as resin materials to be used in the new polyolefin-based resin molded product based on the information related to the physical properties of the group of recycled resin materials, calculating the blending amount of the selected group of recycled resin materials in the resin materials to be used in the new polyolefin-based resin molded product, and blending the selected group of recycled resin materials based on the calculated blending amount. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method for managing recycled resin materials obtained from recovered polyolefin resin molded articles. Also, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method for producing new polyolefin resin molded articles using recycled resin materials. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a method for managing recycled resin materials according to one embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a flowchart showing a method for managing recycled resin materials according to an embodiment and a method for manufacturing a polyolefin resin molded product using the management method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] The method for managing recycled resin materials according to the present embodiment is for managing recycled resin materials together with information on their physical properties when discarded polyolefin-based resin molded products are reused as recycled resin materials. This effectively prevents the occurrence of variations in the physical properties of polyolefin-based resin molded products newly manufactured by material recycling using the recycled resin materials. In addition, the polyolefin-based resin molded products newly manufactured by material recycling using the recycled resin materials are made to have desired physical properties.

[0013] Material recycling of polyolefin-based resin molded products can be carried out as follows. First, discarded used polyolefin resin molded products and polyolefin resin molded products discarded as defective products from container manufacturing plants are collected. The polyolefin resin molded products thus collected for material recycling are called "collected polyolefin resin molded products." The term "collected polyolefin resin molded products" used here does not refer to a single discarded molded product, but includes a certain amount of molded products. Next, the recovered polyolefin resin molded products are subjected to processing steps such as pulverization and washing to obtain recycled resin materials. Next, the obtained recycled resin material is used as a raw material for a newly manufactured molded product by softening it with heat and molding it into a desired container shape, thereby manufacturing a new polyolefin resin molded product.

[0014] Specific resin materials used in polyolefin-based resin molded products include polypropylene, low-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, ethylene-polypropylene copolymer, and mixtures thereof. Containers made of polyethylene resin are known as representative polyolefin-based resin molded products. One specific shape of the container is a bottle-shaped packaging container that includes a container body that contains the contents and a lid that seals the container.

[0015] Polyolefin resin molded products are made of resin materials with different physical properties depending on the application and shape of the molded product. For example, in the case of a bottle-shaped container made of polyolefin resin, the container body and the lid are often made of polyolefin resin. In this case, the melt flow rate of the resin forming the bottle-shaped container body made of most polyolefin resin is 0.2 to 6 g / 10 min, and the melt flow rate of the resin forming the lid is 10 to 35 g / 10 min. In addition, in the case of a polyolefin resin molded product having a multi-layer structure, the physical properties of each layer may differ even if the same polyolefin resin is used.

[0016] Polyolefin resin molded products are collected by local governments as recyclable waste for plastic products after use in general households, as defective products from polyolefin resin molded product manufacturing plants, and as industrial waste from food factories. Defective products collected from container factories can be unused containers made of resin materials with the same physical properties, and can be collected in a certain amount. Industrial waste collected from food factories can be containers used for the same purpose, and many of them can be collected in a used state. In addition, it is expected that those from factories are often collected in a state separated by molded product, for example, when collecting bottle-shaped containers, the container body and the lid are separated. On the other hand, it is expected that recyclable waste collected by local governments is collected in a state where containers made of resin materials with different physical properties are mixed together after use.

[0017] In this way, the composition of the molded products contained in the collected polyolefin-based resin molded products varies depending on the acquisition route. It is assumed that the physical properties of the recycled resin materials obtained by processing the collected polyolefin-based resin molded products in a state where they are separated according to the acquisition route will differ for each one. In addition, when various products are mixed, such as recyclable waste collected by a local government, the composition will also differ for each group, and it is assumed that the physical properties of the recycled resin materials obtained by processing will vary.

[0018] In this embodiment, when the collected polyolefin resin molded products are reused as recycled resin materials, a group of collected polyolefin resin molded products is prepared as collected polyolefin resin molded products for obtaining recycled resin materials, and information on the acquisition route, contained molded products, etc. is managed. Then, an identifier is assigned to a group of recycled resin materials (referred to as a "group of recycled resin materials") obtained from the prepared group of collected polyolefin resin molded products, and information on the physical properties of the recycled resin materials, including information on the corresponding collected polyolefin resin molded products, is linked to the identifier, and the recycled resin materials are managed.

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a method for managing recycled resin materials according to one embodiment. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing a method for managing recycled resin materials according to one embodiment and a method for producing a polyolefin resin molded product using the method.

[0020] There are several possible routes for obtaining "recovered polyolefin-based resin molded products." Four cases are described below as examples. The routes for obtaining recovered polyolefin-based resin molded products, the composition of the molded products contained therein, and the processing methods thereof are not limited to these.

[0021] [First Case] A method for managing recycled resin materials when a polyolefin resin molded product 11 (hereinafter also referred to as a "first recovered product 11") recovered from a container factory 1 is prepared will be described. Here, a case will be described in which all the molded products are the same, that is, containers molded from resin materials having the same physical properties, in an unused state, as an example of the first collected products 11. It goes without saying that the polyolefin resin molded products 11 collected from the container factory 1 are not limited to the above-mentioned configuration, and for example, the first collected products 11 may include molded products of different shapes.

[0022] First, in step S1, the first collected items 11 are prepared at the collection point 91. When the first collected item 11 is prepared, an operator at the collection site 91 uses an input device 101 to read the temporary identification number 41 given to the first collected item 11 and information about the collected polyolefin resin molded product obtained from a slip or the like attached to the first collected item 11 (hereinafter, also referred to as "collected item information"), and transmits the information to an information management device 100 as first information 10. The information management device 100 acquires the first information 10 of the temporary identification number 41 and the collected item information, and registers the temporary identification number 41 and the collected item information in a database 110 in association with each other. The information management device 100 may be configured as a computer. In this case, the database 110 may be provided as data within the information management device 100.

[0023] The recovered product information may include the route by which the recovered product was acquired as the history of the recovered product, and in the first example, may include information that the first recovered product 11 was recovered from the container factory 1. The collected item information may also include information on the time of collection of the first collected item 11, that is, the collection date and time, as the history of the collected item. In addition, the collected item information may include the usage status of the collected item, whether it has been used or not, as the history of the collected item. In the first example, the collected item information may include information that the first collected item 11 is unused. The collected product information may also include information on the sorting status, such as whether the collected products are sorted according to their use and / or shape, and in the first example, may include information that the first collected products 11 are all composed of the same molded product and therefore have been sorted. The information on the sorting status may preferably further include the composition ratio of the products contained in the collected products, and in the first example, may include information that the first collected products 11 are all composed of the same molded product and therefore the first collected products 11 are 100% composed of the same product. The collected product information may also include the physical property values ​​of the molded products contained in the collected products. When the first collected products 11 are all composed of the same molded products as in the first example, the physical property values ​​of the first collected products 11 may be known by obtaining information on the first collected products 11 from the container factory 1, which is the source of collection. Specific examples of the physical property values ​​of the first collected products 11 may include the composition ratio, viscosity (melt flow rate), strength (tensile strength, impact strength), density, melt tension, melting point, etc., of the specific resin material of the first collected products 11. In the case of the first collected products 11 composed of the same molded products, the physical properties of the group of recycled resin materials 21 obtained through the subsequent collected product processing process in step S2 may be predicted to some extent without sampling and measuring the physical property values. Such information on the history, sorting status, and physical properties of the first recovered product 11 can be managed as information on the recovered polyolefin resin molded products.

[0024] Next, in step S2, the first recovered products 11 are treated by a treatment device 92 through a predetermined recovered product treatment process to obtain a first batch of recycled resin materials 21.

[0025] The recovered product processing step includes at least crushing the first recovered product 11 and washing the crushed resin flakes. The crushing of the first recovered product 11 can be performed using a known crushing means, and is not particularly limited. Similarly, the washing of the resin flakes can be performed using a known washing means, and is not particularly limited. Furthermore, the recovered item processing step S2 may include other processing steps in addition to the crushing and cleaning processes described above.

[0026] For example, the recovered product processing step S2 may include a separation process for selecting and removing flakes made of materials other than polyolefin resin from the resin flakes. There is a possibility that foreign matter may be attached to the recovered polyolefin-based resin molded product 11 from the time of preparation until it is subjected to the recovered product processing process. In addition, containers having a multi-layer structure may contain resins other than polyolefin-based resins. In this way, when there is a possibility that materials other than polyolefin-based resins are mixed in, it is preferable to sort and remove the materials when reusing the resin flakes. The separation process for selecting and removing materials other than polyolefin resin from the resin flakes may be performed by any means, and is not particularly limited. For example, after the recovered molded products are crushed to obtain resin flakes, the materials can be selected and removed by gravity separation in an aqueous solution when the resin flakes are washed.

[0027] In addition, the recovered product processing step in step S2 may include a granulation process for granulating the resin flakes into pellets. If the granulation process is not included, the recycled resin material is resin flakes, and if the granulation process is included, the recycled resin material is pellets. In the granulation process, a known granulation device can be used, and is not particularly limited. For example, a granulation device equipped with a heating cylinder in which a plasticizing screw is arranged inside and a granulation die attached to the tip of the heating cylinder, and configured to cut the resin that is plasticized in the heating cylinder, melted and kneaded, and extruded in a strand shape from the granulation die into pellets, can be mentioned. In addition, it is more preferable to use a granulation device configured to decompress and suck gas phase components containing impurity components remaining in the granulation device through a vent port provided through the heating cylinder of the granulation device and discharge it outside the device. This makes it possible to further reduce the impurity components remaining in the plasticized resin. In addition, the impurity components referred to here include, for example, volatile components, moisture, etc., but are not limited thereto.

[0028] In the recovered product processing process of step S2, it is preferable to obtain at least one piece of information (also referred to as "processing information" in the following description) including information regarding the cleaning time of the recovered polyolefin resin molded product 11 and information regarding the processing content of the recovered polyolefin resin molded product 11 in the recovered product processing process.

[0029] Specifically, for example, the processing device 92 reads the temporary identification number 41 of the first collected item 11 to be processed during processing, and transmits the temporary identification number 41 of the processed item and processing information including the processing date and time and processing content of the processed item set in the processing device 92 to the information management device 100 as second information 20 via the input device 102. The information management device 100 acquires the second information 20 of the temporary identification number 41 and the processing information, and registers it in the database 110 using the temporary identification number 41 as a key. As a result, the correspondence between the temporary identification number 41, the collected item information, and the processing information is recorded in the database 110.

[0030] Furthermore, when the processing device 92 provides the first batch of recycled resin materials 21 obtained by the collected product processing process to the next process, the processing device 92 performs a process so that the correspondence between the obtained first batch of recycled resin materials 21 and the temporary identification number 41 can be determined in the next process. For example, when the identifier assigning device 93 used in the next process operates as a series of systems with the processing device 92, when the first recycled resin material 21 is provided to the identifier assigning device 93, information on the temporary identification number 41 of the first collected product 11 that became the raw material of the first batch of recycled resin materials 21 may be transmitted. Alternatively, when the first batch of recycled resin materials 21 in a container is provided from the processing device 92 to the next process, the temporary identification number 41 of the first collected product 11 that became the raw material of the obtained first batch of recycled resin materials 21 may be temporarily assigned to the container that packages the first batch of recycled resin materials 21.

[0031] According to the processing information, the deterioration state of the obtained group of recycled resin materials 21 can be predicted. For example, if foreign matter is attached to the first collected items 11, the deterioration state of the group of recycled resin materials 21 will differ depending on the time from collection to cleaning. In addition, the removal rate of foreign matter remaining in the resin flakes after cleaning differs depending on the contents of the cleaning process, for example, whether cleaning is performed with water or with an aqueous solution other than water. Therefore, it is preferable to obtain the collection time of the first collected items 11 from the collected item information and obtain the cleaning time and contents of the cleaning process as information from the processing information, since this makes it possible to predict the state of the first group of recycled resin materials 21.

[0032] Next, in step S3, the identifier assigning device 93 assigns an identifier 31 to the obtained first batch of recycled resin materials 21. Thereby, the obtained batch of recycled resin materials 21 is managed by identifying them using the assigned identifiers 31.

[0033] Specifically, for example, the identifier assigning device 93 assigns an identifier 31 to the group of recycled resin materials 21 by printing, engraving, burning with a laser beam, attaching with a sticker, or the like an identifier represented by characters such as alphanumeric characters, symbols, barcodes (one-dimensional barcodes), two-dimensional codes such as QR codes (registered trademark), or the like, to a container in which the group of recycled resin materials is packed. The identifier assigning device 93 may also assign an identifier 31 to the group of recycled resin materials 21 by attaching, to the container in which the group of recycled resin materials 21 is packed, a chip that can electromagnetically transmit a signal indicating the identifier 31 with or without contact. The identifier assigning device 93 is not particularly limited, and known means can be used, for example, known printing devices, marking devices, laser irradiation devices, and pasting devices.

[0034] In addition, when assigning the identifier 31, the identifier assigning device 93 acquires, for example, the temporary identification number 41 of the first collected items 11 that became the raw material of the group of recycled resin materials 21 by receiving it from the processing device 92, and transmits the identifier 31 and the temporary identification number 41 of the first collected items 11 that became the raw material of the first group of recycled resin materials 21 to the information management device 100 as the third information 30 via the input device 103. The information management device 100 acquires the third information 30 and registers the identifier 31 in the database 110 using the temporary identification number 41 as a key. As a result, it is possible to create a database 110 in which the collected item information and processing information are linked to the identifier 31 as information related to the physical properties of the first group of recycled resin materials 21.

[0035] In this specification, "information related to the physical properties of a group of recycled resin materials" does not only refer to specific physical property values ​​obtained by measurement, etc. In this specification, "information related to the physical properties of a group of recycled resin materials" means including various information related to the properties of recycled resin materials, including the above-mentioned collected product information and processing information, and the below-mentioned physical property value information and storage information.

[0036] After step S3, step S4 may include a physical property measurement process in which the physical property values ​​of the first batch of recycled resin materials 21 are measured by a physical property measurement device 94. This makes it possible to obtain information on the measured physical property values ​​of the first batch of recycled resin materials 21 (hereinafter, also referred to as "physical property information"). During measurement, for example, the physical property measuring device 94 reads the identifier 31 of the batch of recycled resins 21 to be processed, and transmits the identifier 31 and the physical property information obtained by the measurement to the information management device 100 as fourth information 40 via the input device 104. The information management device 100 acquires the fourth information 40 of the identifier 31 and the physical property information, and registers it in the database 110 using the identifier 31 as a key. As a result, a database 110 is created in which the collected product information, processing information, and physical property information are linked to the identifier 31 as information related to the physical properties of the first batch of recycled resin material 21.

[0037] The physical property values ​​here may include the composition ratio of the resin material, viscosity (melt flow rate), strength (tensile strength, impact strength), density, melt tension, melting point, and the like.

[0038] In the first example, the physical property measurement process is effective in managing accurate physical property values ​​even if the physical property values ​​of the first group of recycled resin materials 21 can be predicted. The recycled resin materials obtained from discarded polyolefin resin molded products are deteriorated due to the inclusion of foreign matter remaining in the collected polyolefin resin molded products and due to the repeated heat history in the granulation process of the resin material that is the raw material of the molded products and the manufacturing process of the molded products. If the raw resin material is deteriorated, various problems may occur, such as a decrease in the container performance of a newly manufactured molded product, or a change in the molding conditions during the manufacture of a new molded product, resulting in a decrease in productivity. By managing accurate physical property values, it is possible to deal with such problems that differ for each group of recycled resin materials obtained.

[0039] The physical property measurement process in step S4 can be performed using either resin flakes or pellets granulated by the above-mentioned granulation process, but it is preferable to use pellets for the physical property measurement process, as this allows for obtaining a more average set of physical property values ​​for a group of recycled resin materials than using resin flakes.

[0040] Next, the first example may further include a storage process in step S5 of storing the first batch of recycled resin material 21 in a temperature- and illuminance-controlled storage location 95. The first batch of recycled resin material 21 may be stored in the storage location 95 until it is used as a resin material 51 that is a raw material for a new polyolefin-based resin molded product 61.

[0041] Information regarding the temperature of the storage location and the illuminance of the storage location 95 when stored in step S5 (also referred to as ``storage information'' in the following explanation) can be linked to the identifier 31 as information regarding the physical properties of the first batch of recycled resin material 21. Specifically, for example, a storage location management device 96 provided in a storage location 95 reads an identifier 31 given to the first batch of recycled resin materials 21 to be stored at the time of storage, and transmits the identifier 31 of the storage target and storage information including the temperature and illuminance of the section in which the storage target is stored, which is set in the storage location management device 96, to the information management device 100 as fifth information 50 via an input device 105. The information management device 100 acquires the fifth information 50 of the identifier 31 and the storage information, and registers it in a database 110 using the identifier 31 as a key. As a result, a database 110 can be created in which the collected product information, processing information, physical property information, and storage information are linked to the identifier 31 as information related to the physical properties of the first batch of recycled resin materials 21.

[0042] [Second Case] A method for managing recycled resin materials when a second recovered polyolefin resin molded product 12 (hereinafter also referred to as a "second recovered product" 12) recovered from a food factory 2 is prepared will be described. As an example of the second collected products 12 collected from the food factory 2, a bottle-shaped container for cooking oil will be described. Here, the bottle-shaped container for cooking oil includes a container body for containing cooking oil and a lid body for sealing the container body. The bottle-shaped container for cooking oil is in a used state. In the following explanation, only the parts that are different from the first example will be explained, and the explanation of the parts that are similar to the first example will be omitted.

[0043] The second collection item 12 prepared at the collection site 91 in step S1 is expected to be in one of the following states: a container body, a lid body, a mixture of container bodies and lid bodies in a predetermined composition ratio, or a mixture of container bodies and lid bodies in an unknown composition ratio.

[0044] Specific examples of the collected product information obtained in step S1 include the following: The collected product information may include information indicating that the second collected product 12 is a collected product collected from the food factory 2 as an acquisition route. The collected item information may also include information indicating that the second collected item 12 has been used, as the usage status regarding whether the collected item has been used or not. In addition, the recovered product information may include information on whether the molded products are separated according to their uses and / or shapes, such as information that the second recovered products 12 are separated into container bodies and lids if they are separated, or information that the second recovered products 12 are not separated if they are not separated. In addition, it is preferable that the composition ratio of the container bodies and lids contained in the second recovered products 12 is included. The recovered product information may also include physical property values ​​of the product contained in the second recovered product 12. Specifically, it may include physical property values ​​of the container body and / or the lid body contained in the second recovered product 12. When the composition ratio of the container body and the lid body contained in the second recovered product 12 is known, the physical property values ​​of the second recovered product 12 can be predicted from those physical property values.

[0045] As in the first example, the collection site 91 can transmit the temporary identification number 42 given to the second collected item 12 and the collected item information to the information management device 100 as the first information 10. The information management device 100 acquires the first information 10 of the temporary identification number 42 and the collected item information, and registers the temporary identification number 42 and the collected item information in the database 110 in association with each other.

[0046] In step S2, the second recovered product 12 is treated by a treatment device 92 according to a predetermined recovered product treatment process to obtain a second batch of recycled resin material 22. The second group of recycled resin materials 22 is assumed to be one of the following, depending on the configuration of the second collected items 12: a group of recycled resin materials obtained from the second collected items 12 consisting of the container body, a group of recycled resin materials obtained from the second collected items 12 consisting of the lid body, a group of recycled resin materials obtained from the second collected items 12 in which the container body and the lid body are mixed in a predetermined composition ratio, or a group of recycled resin materials obtained from the second collected items 12 in which the composition ratio of the container body and the lid body is unknown. The fact that the obtained second group of recycled resin materials 22 is one of the above cases can be managed by registering in the database 110 the sorting status of the collected item information associated with the provisional identification number 42 given to the second collected items 12 used as raw materials.

[0047] In the second example, since the second recovered product 12 is a packaging container for edible oil and is a used container that packages contents containing oil, it is preferable to include a washing step that can effectively remove oil adhering to the container. For example, it is preferable to subject the resin flakes to a washing step that includes a preliminary washing step in which the resin flakes are washed with water, a main washing step in which the resin flakes that have been through the preliminary washing step are washed in an aqueous solution containing a surfactant, an alkaline aqueous solution containing sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or the like, or in a mixed aqueous solution of these, and a post-washing step in which the resin flakes that have been through the main washing step are rinsed with water. If oil remains in the recycled resin material obtained by the recovered product processing process, it will cause deterioration of the recycled resin material, so it is preferable to perform a process to remove the oil in this manner.

[0048] In addition, the second recovered products 12 may include container bodies or lids with films, labels, etc. attached thereto, and it is considered that various resin materials are mixed in these. Therefore, in the second example, when reusing the resin flakes, it is preferable to include a separation process in the recovered product processing process so that the materials are sorted and removed. The separation process may be performed by any means, and is not particularly limited, as in the first embodiment. When the second recovered product 12 is crushed to form resin flakes and then the resin flakes are washed, the materials are selected and removed by gravity separation in an aqueous solution. If the above-mentioned preliminary washing process, main washing process, and post-washing process are included, the separation process may be performed in any of the washing processes.

[0049] In the second example, it is preferable that the information processing regarding the physical properties of the second group of recycled resin materials 22 includes processing information. As described above, in the second example, it is assumed that oil is attached to the second collected products 12 in many cases. If oil is attached, the degree of odor intensity emitted from the second group of recycled resin materials 22 varies depending on the time from collection to cleaning. It has been confirmed that cleaning immediately after collection can reduce the odor of the recycled resin material caused by the oil remaining in the molded product, and can also reduce the odor of molded products manufactured using the recycled resin material as a raw material. It has also been confirmed that the concentration of oil remaining in the resin flakes after cleaning varies depending on the contents of the cleaning process, for example, the composition of the cleaning solution such as an aqueous solution containing a surfactant, an alkaline aqueous solution, or a mixed aqueous solution of these. The odor and color of the recycled resin material change depending on the concentration and type of the remaining oil. Therefore, it is preferable to obtain the collection time and cleaning time of the second collected products 12 and the processing content as information, since the state of the second group of recycled resin materials 22 can be predicted.

[0050] As in the first example, the processing device 92 can transmit, for example, the temporary identification number 42 of the second collected item 12 to be processed during processing, and processing information including the processing date and time and details, to the information management device 100 as second information 20. The information management device 100 can obtain the second information 20 of the temporary identification number 42 and the processing information, and register it in the database 110 using the temporary identification number 42 as a key. As a result, the database 110 records the correspondence between the temporary registration number 42, the collected item information, and the processing information.

[0051] Next, in step S3, similar to the first example, the identifier assigning device 93, for example, assigns an identifier 32 to the obtained second batch of recycled resin materials 22. Also, similar to the first example, the information management device 100 creates a database 110 in which collected product information and processing information are linked to the identifier 32 as information related to the physical properties of the second batch of recycled resin materials 22.

[0052] In the second example, similarly to the first example, step S4 may include a physical property measurement process for measuring the physical properties of the second batch of recycled resin materials 22. When the second collected products 12 are not separated into the container body and the lid and the composition ratio of the container body and the lid is unknown, it is difficult to predict the physical properties of the obtained second batch of recycled resin materials 22. Therefore, it is preferable to measure the physical properties of the second batch of recycled resin materials 22 to obtain physical property information, and manage the physical property information as information on the physical properties of the second batch of recycled resin materials 22.

[0053] In the second case, step S5 preferably further includes a storage process of storing the second batch of recycled resin material 22 in a temperature and light controlled storage area 95. When oil is attached to the recovered polyolefin resin molded product, the oil remaining in the obtained recycled resin material oxidizes and deteriorates with long-term storage. It is known that such oil deterioration causes the recycled resin material to turn brown or yellow. It has also been confirmed that the color of such recycled resin material changes depending on the temperature and illuminance during storage. More specifically, it has been confirmed that when the storage location 95 is at a relatively high temperature of 37 to 55°C, the recycled resin material tends to turn brown, and when the storage location is in a relatively bright place with an illuminance of 1000 to 1300 lux, the recycled resin material tends to turn white. Therefore, in step S5, it is preferable to store the obtained second batch of recycled resin materials 22 in a storage location 95 where the temperature and illuminance are adjusted to a predetermined value, thereby adjusting the color tone of the recycled resin materials. Here, the information management device 100 can access the database 110, for example, to acquire collected product information and physical property information, and calculate a temperature and illuminance suitable for the identifier 32 of a group of recycled resin materials to which a corresponding identifier 32 has been assigned, based on the acquired information. The information management device 100 transmits the calculated temperature and illuminance and the corresponding identifier 32 as sixth information 60 to the storage location management device 96 in the storage location 95 via the output device 106. The storage location management device 96 can acquire the sixth information 60, identify the corresponding group of recycled resin materials 22 by the identifier 32, and adjust the temperature and illuminance of the section in the storage location 95 in which the group of recycled resin materials 22 is stored, based on the calculated temperature and illuminance.

[0054] [Case 3] This section describes a method for managing recycled resin materials when plastic products that have been used in ordinary households and then collected by local governments 3 as recyclable waste are prepared as polyolefin resin molded products 13 (also referred to as "third collected products" 13 in the following explanation). In the following explanation, only the parts that are different from the first or second example will be explained, and explanations of the parts that are similar to the first or second example will be omitted.

[0055] In step S1, the third collected products 13 prepared at the collection site 91 are mostly in a used state and are composed of various molded products. The various molded products refer to molded products that are made of resin materials having different physical properties and that have been used for different purposes.

[0056] Specific examples of the recalled product information obtained in step S1 include the following: The collected item information may include, as an acquisition route, information indicating that the third collected item 13 is recyclable waste collected from a local government. In addition, the collected product information may include information indicating that the third collected product 13 has been used as a usage status regarding whether the collected products are used or unused. Even if unused products are included, if used products are included, they may be regarded as being in a used state. Furthermore, the collected item information may include information indicating whether the collected items are sorted according to their use and / or shape, such as information indicating that the third collected items 13 are not sorted. In addition, when the third recovered product 13 includes various products in an unsorted state, it is difficult to include in the recovered product information the physical properties and composition ratios of the molded products included in the third recovered product 13. In this case, the recovered product information may include a statement that the physical properties and composition ratios of the third recovered product 13 are "unknown."

[0057] As in the first example, the collection site 91 can transmit the temporary identification number 43 given to the third collected item 13 and the collected item information to the information management device 100 as the first information 10. The information management device 100 acquires the first information 10 of the temporary identification number 43 and the collected item information, and registers the temporary identification number 43 and the collected item information in the database 110 in association with each other.

[0058] In step S2, the third recovered product 13 is treated by a treatment device 92 through a predetermined recovered product treatment process to obtain a third batch of recycled resin materials 23.

[0059] In the third case, it is expected that the third recovered items 13 will include used containers containing oil-containing contents such as food, and therefore it is preferable to include a cleaning process that can effectively remove oil adhering to the containers, as in the second case.

[0060] In addition, the third collected items 13 composed of recyclable waste may contain resins other than polyolefin resins, for example polyethylene resins such as polyethylene terephthalate bottle-shaped containers (so-called PET bottles). The third collected items 13 may also have films, labels, etc. attached thereto. The third collected items 13 may also include containers with a multi-layer structure. For this reason, in the third case, it is preferable to include a separation process in the collected item processing process so that the resin flakes are sorted and removed according to material when they are reused.

[0061] In the third case, it is preferable that processing information is included as information on the physical properties of the third batch of recycled resin materials 23. Since the third case is expected to include used containers containing oil and contents, it is preferable to obtain the processing information, as in the second case, so that the state of the third batch of recycled resin materials 23 can be predicted.

[0062] Next, in step S3, similar to the first example, the identifier assigning device 93, for example, assigns an identifier 33 to the obtained third batch of recycled resin materials 23. Also, similar to the first example, the information management device 100 creates a database 110 in which collected product information and processing information are linked to the identifier 33 as information related to the physical properties of the third batch of recycled resin materials 23.

[0063] In the third case, similarly to the first case, it is preferable to include a physical property measurement process for measuring the physical properties of the third batch of recycled resin materials 23 in step S4. In many cases, the third collected products 13 collected by local governments and the like as resource waste contain a mixture of various products, and the composition ratio of the molded products that make up the third collected products 13 is unknown. In this case, it is difficult to predict the physical properties of the obtained third group of recycled resin materials 23. Therefore, it is preferable to measure the physical property values ​​of the third group of recycled resin materials 23 to obtain physical property information, and manage the physical property information as information on the physical properties of the third group of recycled resin materials 23.

[0064] In the third case, step S5 preferably further includes a storage process of storing the third batch of recycled resin materials 23 in a storage location 95 where temperature and light intensity are controlled. As mentioned above, it is expected that oil will be attached to some of the third recovered items 13, so as in the second case, it is preferable to adjust the color tone of the recycled resin material by storing the obtained third batch of recycled resin material 23 in a storage location 95 where the temperature and illuminance are adjusted to a predetermined value.

[0065] [Case 4] This section describes a method for managing recycled resin materials when a mixture of the first recovered product 11, the second recovered product 12, and the third recovered product 13 described in the first, second, and third cases is prepared as a recovered polyolefin resin molded product 14 (also referred to as the "fourth recovered product 14" in the following explanation). In the following explanation, only the parts that are different from the first, second or third example will be explained, and explanations of the parts that are similar to the first, second or third example will be omitted.

[0066] In step S1, the fourth collected product 14 is prepared. In FIG. 1, the fourth collected product 14 is shown as a mixture of the first collected product 11, the second collected product 12, and the third collected product 13 at the collection site 91, but is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the fourth collected product 14 can be a mixture of the first collected product 11, the second collected product 12, and the third collected product 13 at the processing device 92. The configuration of the fourth collected product 14 is not limited to this, and it is sufficient that at least two of the first collected product 11, the second collected product 12, and the third collected product 13 are mixed. The composition ratio of the collected products that make up the fourth collected product 14 is not limited. The fourth collected items 14 are a mixture of used and unused items, and are made up of various molded products.

[0067] Specific examples of the recalled product information obtained in step S1 include the following: The collected product information may include information indicating that the fourth collected product 14 was collected from the container factory 1, the food factory 2, and the local government 3 as the acquisition route. The collected item information may also include information indicating that the fourth collected item 14 has been used, as the usage status regarding whether the collected item has been used or not. The collected item information may also include information indicating whether the collected items are separated by use and / or shape, such as information that the fourth collected items 14 are not separated. In the fourth case, it is often difficult to include in the recalled product information the physical properties and composition ratio of the molded product contained in the fourth recalled product 14. In this case, the recalled product information may include a statement that the physical properties and composition ratio of the fourth recalled product 14 are “unknown.”

[0068] As in the first example, the collection site 91 can transmit the temporary identification number 44 given to the fourth collected item 14 and the collected item information to the information management device 100 as the first information 10. The information management device 100 acquires the first information 10 of the temporary identification number 44 and the collected item information, and registers the temporary identification number 44 and the collected item information in the database 110 in association with each other.

[0069] In step S2, the fourth recovered product 14 is treated by a treatment device 92 through a predetermined recovered product treatment process to obtain a fourth batch of recycled resin materials 24.

[0070] In the fourth case, since it is expected that the fourth recovered items 14 will include used containers containing oil-containing contents such as food, it is preferable to include a cleaning process that can effectively remove oil adhering to the containers, as in the second case. In the fourth case, the fourth recovered product 14 may contain resins other than polyolefin resins, and may also contain foreign matter and various resin materials. Therefore, in the fourth case, it is preferable to include a separation process in the recovered product processing process so that the materials are sorted and removed when reusing the resin flakes.

[0071] In the fourth case, it is preferable that processing information is included as information on the physical properties of the fourth batch of recycled resin materials 24. In the fourth case, since it is expected that the fourth collected products 14 include used containers containing oil and other contents, it is preferable to obtain the processing information, as in the second case, because it is possible to predict the state of the fourth batch of recycled resin materials 24.

[0072] Next, in step S3, similar to the first example, the identifier assigning device 93, for example, assigns an identifier 34 to the obtained fourth batch of recycled resin materials 24. Also, similar to the first example, the information management device 100 creates a database 110 in which the collected product information and processing information are linked to the identifier 34 as information related to the physical properties of the fourth batch of recycled resin materials 24.

[0073] Also, in the fourth example, similarly to the first example, step S4 may include a physical property measurement process for measuring the physical property values ​​of the fourth batch of recycled resin material 24. In many cases, the fourth collected products 14 contain a mixture of various molded products, and the composition ratio of the molded products that make up the fourth collected products 14 is unknown. In particular, the physical properties differ and vary depending on the composition of the fourth collected products 14, for example, the composition ratio of the first collected products 11, the second collected products 12, and the third collected products 13, making it difficult to predict the physical properties of the obtained group of recycled resin materials 24. For this reason, it is preferable to measure the physical property values ​​of the group of recycled resin materials 24 to obtain physical property information, and manage the physical property information as information on the physical properties of the fourth group of recycled resin materials 24.

[0074] In the fourth example, step S5 preferably further includes a storage process of storing the batch of recycled resin materials 23 in a storage location 95 where temperature and light intensity are controlled. As mentioned above, it is expected that oil will be attached to some of the fourth recovered items 14, so as in the second and third cases, it is preferable to adjust the color tone of the recycled resin material by storing the obtained fourth batch of recycled resin material 24 in a storage location 95 where the temperature and illuminance are adjusted to a predetermined value.

[0075] In this way, the first group of recycled resin materials 21, the second group of recycled resin materials 22, the third group of recycled resin materials 23, and the fourth group of recycled resin materials 24 obtained in the first, second, third, and fourth cases are assumed to have different configurations of recovered polyolefin resin molded products and different physical properties. In addition, depending on the configuration of the recovered products used as raw materials, there is a risk of variation in physical properties even if the acquisition route is the same. When new polyolefin resin molded products are manufactured using the first group of recycled resin materials 21, the second group of recycled resin materials 22, the third group of recycled resin materials 23, and the fourth group of recycled resin materials 24 as raw materials, the use of information managed by the above-mentioned method for managing recycled resin materials makes it possible to effectively prevent the occurrence of variations in the new polyolefin resin molded products. Also, it becomes possible to manufacture new polyolefin resin molded products having desired physical properties. A method for producing a new polyolefin resin molded product using a method for managing recycled resin materials will be described below.

[0076] [New manufacturing method for polyolefin resin molded products] When molding a new polyolefin resin molded product 61 using at least one of the group of recycled resin materials 21, 22, 23, 24 obtained in the above-mentioned process, in step S6, the information management device 100 accesses the database 110 to obtain information related to the physical properties of the group of recycled resin materials, i.e., at least one of the above-mentioned recovered product information, processing information, physical property information, and storage information.

[0077] Next, in step S7, the information management device 100 selects one or more of the group of recycled resin materials 21, 22, 23, and 24 as the resin material 51 to be used in the newly manufactured polyolefin resin molded product 61 based on the collected product information, processing information, physical property information, and storage information obtained by accessing the information management device 100. At the same time, the information management device 100 calculates the blending amount of the selected group of recycled resin materials in the resin material 51. The calculation of the blending amount can be performed, for example, in the information management device 100, based on the collected product information, processing information, physical property value information, and storage information acquired, using a calculation formula that references data indicating the relationship between the resin material and the molded product obtained so far, so that the newly manufactured molded product 61 has desired physical properties. The information management device 100 transmits, via the output device 107, for example, the identifiers 31, 32, 33, 34 corresponding to the selected group of recycled resin materials 21, 22, 23, 24 and the calculated blending amount as seventh information 70 to the blending device 97.

[0078] Next, in step S8, the blending device 97 acquires, for example, the seventh information 70, identifies a group of recycled resin materials 21, 22, 23, 24 corresponding to the received identifiers 31, 32, 33, 34, and takes out and blends a predetermined blending amount from the group of recycled resin materials 21, 22, 23, 24 stored in the storage location 95. The taking out and blending of the recycled resin materials can be performed, for example, by a robot attached to the blending device 97. The means by which the blending device 97 identifies the identifiers 31, 32, 33, and 34 is not particularly limited. Depending on the form of the identifier, it may be visual, or a reading device such as an imaging device or a receiving device that receives a signal from the chip may be used.

[0079] Next, in step S9, the molding device 98 heats and softens the blended resin material, and then molds it into a predetermined container shape to form a new polyolefin-based resin molded product 61. In addition, in the molding device 98, known molding methods such as extrusion molding such as direct blow molding, injection molding, compression molding, etc. can be performed, and there are no particular limitations.

[0080] For example, when the second group of recycled resin materials 22 is used as the resin material 51 of a new polyolefin-based resin molded product, there are a group of recycled resin materials obtained from the recovered polyolefin-based resin molded products consisting of the main body of a bottle-shaped packaging container for edible oil, and a group of recycled resin materials obtained from the recovered polyolefin-based resin molded products consisting of the cap body of a bottle-shaped packaging container for edible oil. According to the manufacturing method of this embodiment, such recycled resin materials are blended at a predetermined blending ratio to form a resin material, whereby the physical properties can be adjusted and the melt flow rate of the blended resin material can be adjusted to a desired extrusion grade.

[0081] In this way, by appropriately blending a group of recycled resin materials 21, 22, 23, and 24 each having different physical properties to mold a new polyolefin resin molded product 61, it is possible to effectively prevent variations in physical properties that may occur in each new polyolefin resin molded product 61 manufactured from recycled resin materials. Also, a new polyolefin resin molded product 61 having desired physical properties can be manufactured.

[0082] In addition, when recycled resin materials are used to manufacture new molded products, resin materials that have not been subjected to a regeneration process (also called virgin materials) may be mixed to prevent deterioration of the color of the resin or improve the material properties, but in recent years, from the viewpoint of recycling activities for environmental issues, there is a tendency to desire to mix as many recycled resin materials as possible. According to the manufacturing method for polyolefin resin molded products using the recycled resin material management method of this embodiment, by using information linked to identifiers 31, 32, 33, 34 assigned to a group of recycled resin materials 21, 22, 23, 24, it is possible to mix an appropriate amount of virgin material for each group of recycled resin materials 21, 22, 23, 24, thereby making it possible to prevent excessive mixing of virgin material.

[0083] In addition, by utilizing information linked to the identifiers 31, 32, 33, 34 assigned to a group of recycled resin materials 21, 22, 23, 24, it is possible to blend the group of recycled resin materials 21, 22, 23, 24 together to achieve desired physical property values, and to manufacture a new molded product using a resin material consisting only of recycled resin materials, i.e., without blending virgin materials.

[0084] Although the present invention has been described above by showing preferred embodiments, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

[0085] In short, the management method for recycled resin materials according to the present invention includes the steps of preparing recovered polyolefin-based resin molded products, processing the recovered polyolefin-based resin molded products through a processing step including crushing and washing to obtain a group of recycled resin materials, assigning an identifier to each of the obtained groups of recycled resin materials, and linking information related to the physical properties of the corresponding group of recycled resin materials to the identifiers, so long as the other steps are not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be modified as appropriate. Similarly, the manufacturing method for polyolefin-based resin molded products according to the present invention is a manufacturing method for polyolefin-based resin molded products that produces a new polyolefin-based resin molded product using the above-mentioned recycled resin material management method, and includes the steps of accessing information related to the physical properties of a group of recycled resin materials, selecting a group of recycled resin materials as resin materials to be used in the new polyolefin-based resin molded product based on the information related to the physical properties of the group of recycled resin materials, calculating the blending amount of the selected group of recycled resin materials in the resin materials to be used in the new polyolefin-based resin molded product based on the calculated blending amount, and blending the selected group of recycled resin materials based on the calculated blending amount. Other steps can be modified as appropriate without being limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. For example, the information related to the physical properties of a group of recycled resin materials included in the above-mentioned embodiment is not limited to the above. It may include some of the specifically exemplified information, or may add information not exemplified, or may be replaced with other information. Similarly, the process and means required to obtain the information may be appropriately changed. Furthermore, the process and means for managing the obtained information may also be appropriately changed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1. Container Factory 2. Food Factory 3 local governments 10,20,30,40,50,60,70 Information 11, 12, 13, 14 Recycled polyolefin resin molded products 21, 22, 23, 24 A group of recycled resin materials 31,32,33,34 Identifiers 41, 42, 43, 44 Provisional identification numbers 51 Resin materials 61 Molded products 100 Information management device 110 Database 101, 102, 103, 104, 105 Input devices 106,107 Output device 91 Collection Point 92 Processing Equipment 93 Identification device 94 Physical property measuring device 95 Storage location 96 Storage location management device 97 Compounding equipment 98 Molding equipment

Claims

1. preparing a recovered polyolefin resin molded product; The recovered polyolefin-based resin molded products are treated through a recovery treatment process including crushing and washing to obtain a group of recycled resin materials; assigning a respective identifier to each of the obtained batches of recycled resin materials; Linking the identifier to information related to the physical properties of the corresponding group of recycled resin materials; A method for managing recycled resin materials, comprising:

2. 2. The method for managing recycled resin materials according to claim 1, wherein the information relating to the physical properties of the group of recycled resin materials is information relating to the recovered polyolefin resin molded products corresponding to the group of recycled resin materials.

3. 3. The method for managing recycled resin materials described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the information related to the physical properties of the group of recycled resin materials is at least one of information regarding the time of collection of the recovered polyolefin-based resin molded products and the time of cleaning of the recovered polyolefin-based resin molded products, and information regarding the processing content of the recovered polyolefin-based resin molded products during the processing of the recovered products.

4. 3. The method for managing recycled resin materials according to claim 1, wherein the information relating to the physical properties of the group of recycled resin materials is physical property values ​​of the group of recycled resin materials.

5. A method for managing recycled resin materials as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the information related to the physical properties of the group of recycled resin materials is information regarding the temperature of the location where the group of recycled resin materials is stored and the illuminance of the location where the group of recycled resin materials is stored.

6. 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising sampling the batch of recycled resin materials to measure physical properties thereof, and obtaining information relating to the physical properties of the batch of recycled resin materials.

7. The method for managing recycled resin materials according to claim 5, further comprising storing the batch of recycled resin materials in a temperature and light controlled storage area, and obtaining information related to physical properties of the batch of recycled resin materials.

8. A method for producing a new polyolefin-based resin molded product using the management method for recycled resin materials according to claim 1 or 2, comprising the steps of: accessing information relating to physical properties of said batch of recycled resin materials; selecting the group of recycled resin materials as resin materials to be used in the new polyolefin resin molded product based on information related to the physical properties of the group of recycled resin materials, and calculating the blending amount of the selected group of recycled resin materials in the resin materials to be used in the new polyolefin resin molded product; blending the selected group of recycled resin materials based on the calculated blending amount; A method for producing a polyolefin resin molded article, comprising the steps of:

9. Obtaining a plurality of said batches of recycled resin materials; 9. The method for producing a polyolefin resin molded product according to claim 8, comprising: selecting at least two or more of the group of recycled resin materials as resin materials to be used in the new polyolefin resin molded product based on information related to the physical properties of each of the group of recycled resin materials; and calculating the blending amount of each of the selected at least two or more of the group of recycled resin materials in the resin material to be used in the new polyolefin resin molded product.

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