Product lifecycle evaluation apparatus, product lifecycle evaluation system, product lifecycle evaluation method, and product lifecycle evaluation program

Abstract

This invention provides a product lifecycle evaluation device, a product lifecycle evaluation system, a product lifecycle evaluation method, and a product lifecycle evaluation program that can evaluate the balance between environmental impact, recycling rate, and cost, taking into account the entire product lifecycle. [Solution] The product life cycle evaluation device 20 includes a first processing unit 211 that performs simulation processing to calculate environmental performance indicators and total costs by changing the conditions of environmental performance indicators including environmental load information and recycling rate throughout the life cycle of a predetermined product, as well as the conditions of influencing factors that affect total costs, and an output unit 213 that outputs the simulation processing results of the first processing unit 211.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a product life cycle evaluation device, a product life cycle evaluation system, a product life cycle evaluation method, and a product life cycle evaluation program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, by repeatedly using resources, the generation of waste and the depletion of resources are suppressed, the environmental load is minimized, the recycling rate is increased to improve the resource circulation rate, and the shift to a recycling-oriented society that maximizes the utilization efficiency of resources is being promoted as a national strategy. Therefore, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a configuration for calculating an environmental load by acquiring various information related to the manufacture of a product.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the invention of Patent Document 1 calculates only the environmental load in the manufacturing process of the product life cycle, and does not calculate the environmental load in the entire life cycle. Further, in manufacturing a product as a corporate activity, it is necessary to pursue not only reduction of the environmental load but also reduction of costs as in the past. However, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, based on the calculated environmental load, although the conditions can be changed to reduce it, it is not possible to achieve both reduction of the environmental load and reduction of costs.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances. Its purpose is to provide a product life cycle evaluation device, a product life cycle evaluation system, a product life cycle evaluation method, and a product life cycle evaluation program that can evaluate the balance of environmental impact, recycling rate, and cost, taking into account the entire product life cycle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the invention described in claim 1 is a product life cycle evaluation device, A first processing unit performs simulation processing to calculate environmental performance indicators and total costs by changing the conditions of influencing factors that affect environmental performance indicators, including environmental impact information and recycling rate, throughout the entire lifecycle of a specified product, and total costs. The system includes an output unit that outputs the simulation processing results of the first processing unit.

[0007] The invention described in claim 2 is a product lifecycle evaluation apparatus as described in claim 1, The output unit outputs the conditions for the influencing factors necessary to achieve the total cost and the environmental performance indicator set by the user.

[0008] The invention described in claim 3 is a product lifecycle evaluation apparatus as described in claim 1, The breakdown of the aforementioned total cost includes disposal costs and transportation costs related to disposal. It has a waste disposal company database in which information about waste disposal companies is stored, The first processing unit calculates the total cost based on the waste disposal cost data and location data stored in the waste disposal company database.

[0009] The invention described in claim 4 is a product life cycle evaluation apparatus as described in claim 3, The first processing unit calculates the recycling rate based on the recycling rate data stored in the waste disposal company database.

[0010] The invention described in claim 5 is a product life cycle evaluation apparatus as described in claim 3, The aforementioned environmental performance indicators include environmental impact assessment indicators. The first processing unit calculates the environmental load information and / or the environmental impact assessment index based on the location data stored in the waste disposal company database.

[0011] The invention described in claim 6 is a product life cycle evaluation apparatus as described in claim 1, The system includes a second processing unit that causes the output unit to output mass balance information based on the relationship between the amount of sustainable raw materials input based on the mass balance method and the amount of said sustainable raw materials consumed in manufacturing.

[0012] The invention described in claim 7 is a product life cycle evaluation apparatus as described in claim 1, The first processing unit performs different optimization processes in the simulation process according to the environmental management target items set by the user.

[0013] The invention described in claim 8 is a product life cycle evaluation system, A product lifecycle evaluation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The product lifecycle evaluation device comprises a user terminal connected to a network, The output unit outputs the simulation processing results to the user terminal.

[0014] The invention described in claim 9 is a product life cycle evaluation method using a product life cycle evaluation device, A first processing step involves performing a simulation process to calculate environmental performance indicators and total costs by changing the conditions of influencing factors that affect environmental performance indicators, including environmental impact information and recycling rates throughout the entire lifecycle of a specified product, and total costs. An output step for outputting the simulation processing result of the first processing step.

[0015] The invention according to claim 10 is a product life cycle evaluation program, causing a computer of a product life cycle evaluation device to perform a simulation process for calculating the environmental performance index and the total cost by changing the conditions of the environmental load information, the recycling rate, and the influencing factors that affect the total cost in the entire life cycle of a predetermined product. an output unit for outputting the simulation processing result of the first processing unit, and functioning as such.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to evaluate the balance of the environmental load, the recycling rate, and the cost in consideration of the entire life cycle of the product.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a product life cycle evaluation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a schematic diagram of a graph for outputting the result of multi-objective optimization processing. [Figure 3] It is a schematic diagram of a table for outputting the result of multi-objective optimization processing. [Figure 4] It is a flowchart showing the flow of output processing of the balance situation based on the mass balance method. [Figure 5] It is a schematic diagram of the incoming data used in the output processing of the balance situation. [Figure 6] It is a schematic diagram of the production and shipment data used in the output processing of the balance situation. [Figure 7] It is a schematic diagram of the mass balance information data used in the output processing of the balance situation.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] The following describes an embodiment of the present invention, the product lifecycle evaluation system 100, based on Figures 1 to 7. However, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the illustrated examples.

[0019] [Overall structure] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of the product lifecycle evaluation system (hereinafter referred to as "the system") 100. As shown in Figure 1, the system 100 includes a user terminal (hereinafter referred to as "terminal") 10 as a terminal device and a product lifecycle evaluation device (hereinafter referred to as "device") 20. The terminal 10 and the device 20 are connected to each other by a network N. Although only one terminal 10 is shown in Figure 1, multiple terminals 10 may be connected to the device 20 simultaneously.

[0020] (network) Network N may include various communication network lines such as telephone lines, fiber optics, mobile communication networks, satellite communication lines, CATV (Community Antenna Television) lines, or other dedicated lines, as well as Internet service providers (Internet) that connect them. Network N may also be a collective communication network in which various communication networks such as LAN (Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), WiFi (Wireless Fidelity), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or NFC (Near Field Communication) are connected in a manner that enables communication with each other. Furthermore, the form of connection may be wired, wireless, or a mixture of wired and wireless.

[0021] (User terminal) Terminal 10 is a device owned and used by each user of System 100. Terminal 10 is a portable information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet. Alternatively, Terminal 10 is a terminal device such as a laptop computer (notebook computer, notebook computer, or ultrabook) or a desktop PC.

[0022] Each terminal 10 communicates data to the device 20 using the network N (such as the terminal 10's communication line or wireless LAN). The terminal 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, a display unit 14, and an operation input unit 15, etc.

[0023] {control unit} The control unit 11 is a processor (computer) that includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory), and comprehensively controls the operation of each part of the terminal 10. The CPU reads programs such as applications stored in the memory unit 12, loads them into RAM, and executes various processes by running those programs.

[0024] {Storage section} The storage unit 12 is equipped with non-volatile semiconductor memory and stores programs such as applications and various data. The terminal 10 has a web browser or program installed that can execute various processes described later, and the files of the web browser or program are stored in the storage unit 12. In this embodiment, various processes will be described as being performed from the web browser.

[0025] {Communications Department} The communication unit 13 is composed of a communication interface and the like. The communication unit 13 sends and receives data to and from the device 20 via the network N using a predetermined communication protocol.

[0026] {Display section} The display unit 14 is equipped with a display device such as a liquid crystal display. The display unit 14 displays various screens under the control of the control unit 11.

[0027] {Operation Input Section} The operation input unit 15 is composed of, for example, various operation keys. The operation input unit 15 converts the user's input into an operation signal and outputs it to the control unit 11. The display unit 14 and the operation input unit 15 may be integrated as a touch panel.

[0028] (Product lifecycle evaluation equipment) Device 20 is equipped with the necessary functions for system 100. Device 20 comprises a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23. Device 20 is, for example, a cloud server implemented through cloud computing, but is not limited to this. Device 20 may be a physical device, or it may be operated on-premises. Furthermore, if Device 20 is a physical device, it may be composed of multiple devices.

[0029] {control unit} The control unit 21 is composed of a CPU, RAM, and other components. The CPU reads various programs stored in the memory unit 22, loads them into the RAM, executes various processes according to the loaded programs, and centrally controls the operation of each part of the device 20. In particular, the control unit 21 functions mainly as a first processing unit 211, a second processing unit 212, and an output unit 213 when the CPU executes programs.

[0030] <First Processing Unit> The first processing unit 211 primarily performs simulation processing to output environmental performance indicators and total costs when influencing factors that affect environmental performance indicators and total costs throughout the product lifecycle are changed. Influencing factors include, for example, the amount of raw materials input in the product manufacturing process, the raw material composition ratio, and the waste disposal company in the disposal process. Environmental performance indicators and total costs will be described later.

[0031] The first processing unit 211 functions, for example, as a cost calculation unit 2111, a recycling rate calculation unit 2112, an environmental load information calculation unit 2113, an environmental impact assessment index calculation unit 2114, and a simulation unit 2115.

[0032] <Cost Calculation Department> The cost calculation unit 2111 calculates the total cost over the entire product lifecycle. For a given product, the cost calculation unit 2111 calculates the manufacturing cost, transportation cost, disposal cost, and recycling cost separately, and then adds these together to calculate the total cost.

[0033] <Recycling Rate Calculation Department> The recycling rate calculation unit 2112 calculates the recycling rate based on the item and characteristics at the time of product disposal. More specifically, the recycling rate calculation unit 2112 calculates the recycling rate by dividing the amount of resources reused or recycled by the total amount of resources input in production and consumption activities.

[0034] <Environmental load information calculation department> The environmental load information calculation unit 2113 calculates environmental load information such as GHG (Green House Gas) emissions and resource consumption. For example, GHG emissions can be calculated by multiplying the activity amount, which is data on GHG emission sources in a specific action or process, by an emission coefficient, which is a coefficient that indicates the amount of GHG emissions per unit of activity.

[0035] More specifically, the environmental load information calculation unit 2113 calculates GHG emissions associated with electricity use by multiplying the amount of electricity used, which is the activity amount in each process, by the emission coefficient for electricity consumption. The environmental load information calculation unit 2113 also calculates GHG emissions associated with fuel consumption by multiplying the amount of fuel consumed, which is the activity amount in each process, by the emission coefficient for fuel consumption. Furthermore, the environmental load information calculation unit 2113 calculates GHG emissions associated with transportation by multiplying the result of multiplying the transportation distance, which is the activity amount, by the fuel consumption emission coefficient. In particular, the environmental load information calculation unit 2113 calculates GHG emissions associated with the transportation of waste disposal by multiplying the transportation distance, which is based on the current location stored in the memory unit 22 and the location data of the waste disposal company stored in the waste disposal company DB 224 (described later), by the fuel consumption and the emission coefficient for fuel consumption.

[0036] <Environmental Impact Assessment Index Calculation Department> The environmental impact assessment index calculation unit 2114 calculates environmental impact assessment indices using methods such as LIME3 (Life-cycle Impact assessment Method based on Endpoint modeling). For example, the environmental impact assessment index calculation unit 2114 calculates GWP (Global Warming Potential), an index used to quantify the impact on global warming, by multiplying the emissions of each GHG in each process by the global warming potential set for each GHG and summing them up.

[0037] Furthermore, the environmental impact assessment index calculation unit 2114 calculates AP (Acidification Potential), an index used to evaluate the environmental impact of gas emissions that cause acid rain, by multiplying the emissions of each gas in each process by the acidification coefficient set for each gas and summing them up.

[0038] Furthermore, the environmental impact assessment index calculation unit 2114 calculates EP (Eutrophication Potential), an index used to evaluate the impact on eutrophication caused by the outflow of nutrients into water bodies, by multiplying the amount of each nutrient discharged in each process by the eutrophication potential set for each nutrient and summing them up.

[0039] Furthermore, the environmental impact assessment index calculation unit 2114 calculates RDI (Resource Depletion Indicators), which are used to evaluate the impact of resource depletion, by multiplying the consumption amount of each resource in each process by the depletion potential, which is a coefficient representing the impact that would result from the depletion of each resource, and then summing them up.

[0040] Furthermore, the environmental impact assessment index calculation unit 2114 calculates the CED (Cumulative Energy Demand), an index used to evaluate the total energy consumption related to production and use, by multiplying the energy consumption of each process by an energy coefficient, which is a coefficient representing the potential for each energy consumption, and then summing them up.

[0041] Furthermore, the environmental impact assessment index calculation unit 2114 calculates APIs (Air Pollution Indicators), which are indices used to evaluate the impact of pollutants released into the atmosphere, by multiplying the emissions of each pollutant in each process by an air pollution coefficient, which is a coefficient representing the pollution potential of each pollutant, and then summing them up.

[0042] In this invention, for convenience, the recycling rate calculated by the recycling rate calculation unit 2112, the environmental load information calculated by the environmental load information calculation unit 2113, and the environmental impact assessment index calculated by the environmental impact assessment index calculation unit 2114 are collectively referred to as environmental performance indicators.

[0043] <Simulation Department> The simulation unit 2115 performs optimization processing by performing simulation processing, which outputs the influencing factors for achieving the environmental management target items set by the user.

[0044] For example, if the user sets minimizing total cost as an environmental management target, the simulation unit 2115 performs optimization processing to minimize the total cost calculated by the cost calculation unit 2111. Similarly, if the user sets minimizing GHG emissions as an environmental management target, the simulation unit 2115 performs optimization processing to minimize the sum of GHG emissions in each process calculated by the environmental load information calculation unit 2113. Furthermore, if the user sets maximizing the recycling rate as an environmental management target, the simulation unit 2115 performs optimization processing to maximize the recycling rate calculated by the recycling rate calculation unit 2112.

[0045] However, when manufacturing products as part of a business activity, various constraints exist. Therefore, if constraints are set, the simulation unit 2115 performs optimization processing in accordance with those constraints.

[0046] For example, product manufacturing as a business activity has a budget. Therefore, even if total cost is not set as an environmental management target item, the simulation unit 2115 optimizes the calculation so that the total cost calculated by the cost calculation unit 2111 is less than or equal to the budget. Also, GHG emissions usually have upper limits set based on legal regulations and the company's sustainability targets. Therefore, even if GHG emissions are not set as an environmental management target item, the simulation unit 2115 optimizes the calculation so that the GHG emissions calculated by the environmental load information calculation unit 2113 are less than or equal to the upper limit. Furthermore, there is a limit to the amount of recyclable resources. Therefore, the simulation unit 2115 optimizes the usage of each resource so that it is less than or equal to the maximum available amount of that resource.

[0047] The simulation unit 2115 may also set constraints based on preconditions for each process, such as product strength conditions and service life conditions.

[0048] The simulation unit 2115 performs single-objective optimization processing as the optimization process if there is only one environmental management target item set by the user, and performs multi-objective optimization processing as the optimization process if there are multiple environmental management target items.

[0049] Specifically, the simulation unit 2115 performs single-objective optimization processing according to the following equation (1), where wi is the importance of each environmental management target item, x is the acquired information (electricity consumption, fuel consumption, unit price, transport distance, waste volume, unit cost, recycling rate, and processing company information, etc.), and fi(x) is the calculation formula for each environmental management target item.

[0050]

number

[0051] However, in the case of equation (1), the calculation results may be biased due to differences in the numerical scale of fi(x). In such cases, it is preferable to use the standardized fi(x) f'i(x) (= fi(x) - μi / σi (where μi is the mean of fi(x) and σi is the standard deviation of fi(x))) in equation 1.

[0052] Furthermore, the simulation unit 2115 performs multi-objective optimization processing according to the following equation (2).

[0053]

number

[0054] When the simulation unit 2115 performs optimization processing, the output unit 213 outputs the results. In particular, when the simulation unit 2115 performs multi-objective optimization processing, the output unit 213 outputs a graph of the Pareto front, including multiple Pareto optimal solutions (white circles in Figure 2), to the display unit 14 of the terminal 10, as shown in Figure 2. The output unit 213 also outputs a table to the display unit 14, as shown in Figure 3, which combines the multiple Pareto optimal solutions with the current total cost and environmental performance indicators, output with the influencing factors set to the current settings. The user can compare the outputted current environmental performance indicators and total cost with the multiple Pareto optimal solutions, select the preferred one, and appropriately check the influencing factors in the product's lifecycle according to the selection.

[0055] Furthermore, the first processing unit 211 stores the calculation process and results of each multi-objective optimization process performed by the simulation unit 2115 in the calculation result DB 225 of the storage unit 22, which will be described later. With this configuration, the user can retrieve the stored contents and reconsider them at any time.

[0056] Figures 2 and 3 are merely examples of graphs and tables obtained when multi-objective optimization processing is performed with total cost and recycling rate set as environmental management target items. The target items that can be set as environmental performance indicators among the environmental management target items are not limited to the recycling rate. Also, in Figure 2, a configuration that outputs a 2D graph is shown as an example because there are two environmental management target items set: total cost and recycling rate. However, there may be three or more environmental management target items set, and the output method may be appropriately changed according to the number of environmental management target items set.

[0057] Furthermore, in the above configuration, the unit consumption data and waste treatment company information used for optimization processing may be obtained from the unit consumption DB222 and waste treatment company DB224, respectively, as described later. In particular, obtaining the waste treatment company information from the waste treatment company DB224 is preferable because it allows for the selection of a more favorable treatment company by having the simulation unit 2115 calculate the transportation distance, recycling rate, and cost, etc., when using treatment companies that meet the conditions for treatable items, and then displaying them in a comparable manner as shown in Figure 3 by the output unit 213.

[0058] <Second Processing Unit> The second processing unit 212 obtains, as input information, the ratio of the amount of sustainable raw materials used to the total amount of raw materials used in the product manufacturing process and the total amount of products manufactured. Based on this, it calculates the proportion of sustainable raw materials in the product and outputs mass balance information.

[0059] The general flow of balance management and the output processing of balance management information is shown in the flowchart of Figure 4. When raw materials arrive, the second processing unit 212 obtains the arrival data of the raw materials from, for example, the terminal 10, and creates arrival information by formatting it (step S1). An example of arrival information is shown in Figure 5. As shown in Figure 5, the arrival information includes at least the arrival date, raw material name, sustainable quantity (amount procured while ensuring sustainability), and non-sustainable quantity. Note that data acceptance in this step is not limited to manual input; for example, data may be read from delivery slips or SDs (Sustainability Declarations) using known AI-OCR or similar methods.

[0060] Then, when a product is produced using the raw materials, the second processing unit 212 receives data from, for example, the terminal 10, regarding the production volume of the product and the sustainable share (the ratio of sustainable raw materials in the product) (step S2). Upon receiving this data, the second processing unit 212 calculates the allocated sustainable quantity by multiplying the production volume by the sustainability share (step S3). An example of production and shipment information including the calculated allocated sustainable quantity is shown in Figure 6.

[0061] Once the allocated sustainable quantity is calculated, the second processing unit 212 calculates the available sustainable quantity by multiplying the quantity of raw materials received as input data, for example, those certified by ISCC (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification), by the CF (Conversion Factor; yield / conversion factor) which takes into account losses in the manufacturing process (step S4). Then, the second processing unit 212 calculates the period credit by subtracting the allocated sustainable quantity calculated in step S3 from the available sustainable quantity calculated in step S4 (step S5).

[0062] An example of mass balance management information including the calculated period credits is shown in Figure 7. For example, as shown in Figure 5, of the raw materials received in October 2024, the sustainable amount (received amount) of ISCC-certified PP is 500 kg, and multiplying this by the cash flow (CF) of 0.9 gives us 450 kg, which is the usable sustainable amount. Here, the allocated sustainable amount for October 2024 is 150 kg, which is the production amount of 300 kg multiplied by the sustainable share of 0.5. Therefore, 450 kg - 150 kg = 300 kg is the period credit for October 2024.

[0063] During the mass balancing period (step S6; No), the second processing unit 212 repeats steps S1 to S5 above. As shown in Figure 7, if the period credit for the previous month was positive during the mass balancing period, it may be carried over to the next month.

[0064] Once the mass balancing period has elapsed (Step S6; Yes), the second processing unit 212 causes the output unit 213 to output various information, including the balance management information shown in Figure 7 (Step S7). If the final period credit is positive, balance management is being performed without problems. Of course, even during the mass balancing period, the various data shown in Figures 5 to 7 can be sequentially checked by the output of the output unit 213.

[0065] By incorporating such a second processing unit 212, it becomes easier to prove sustainability based on the mass balance method, making it easier for the product to obtain ISCC certification.

[0066] In the above example, the use of the second processing unit 212 in the product manufacturing process was provided, but the method is not limited to this, and it may be used similarly in the raw material production process as well.

[0067] <Output section> Returning to Figure 1, the output unit 213 outputs the processing results of the first processing unit 211 and the second processing unit 212 to the display unit 14 of the terminal 10. The output format from the output unit 213 may consist only of tables or graphs as shown in Figures 2, 3, and 5 to 7, but it may also be in report format. More specifically, in addition to tables or graphs, the report format may include product information, calculation criteria and preconditions such as the DB of the storage unit 22 used, text relating to the interpretation of the calculation results, a breakdown of environmental impact assessment indicators, and diagrams relating to the costs or environmental performance indicators and mass balance information of each process in the product lifecycle. {Storage section} The storage unit 22 includes an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or non-volatile semiconductor memory, etc. The storage unit 22 stores various programs and data executed by the control unit 21. At least a portion of the various programs may be stored in the ROM of the control unit 21, etc.

[0068] The memory unit 22 stores web server programs, application programs, and the like. The web server program communicates with a web browser or program installed on the terminal 10 using the HTTP protocol to provide a website for using the system 100, thereby realizing the function of a web server. The application programs run on the web server and perform various processes.

[0069] Furthermore, the memory unit 22 stores price information DB221, unit cost DB222, environmental impact assessment index coefficient list 223, waste disposal company DB224, and calculation result DB225, among others.

[0070] <Price Information Database> The price information DB221 stores the prices of each raw material required for the manufacture of a product. However, even if the price of a certain raw material at the time of product manufacture is stored in the price information DB221, that price may fluctuate due to market conditions, etc., at the time of disposal or recycling of the product. Therefore, in the optimization process described above, predicted data obtained by having AI (Artificial Intelligence) analyze market conditions and economic analyst reports may be used instead of the data in the price information DB221.

[0071] <Unit Cost DB> The Unit Intensity Database (DB222) stores unit intensity tables that show the amount of resources and energy required per unit of product, as well as the amount of GHGs emitted.

[0072] <List of coefficients for environmental impact assessment indicators> The list of coefficients for environmental impact assessment indicators 223 stores coefficients used to quantitatively evaluate the specific environmental impact of a product (e.g., CO2 emissions, resource consumption, etc.).

[0073] <Waste Disposal Company Database> The Waste Disposal Company DB224 stores data related to each waste disposal company. For example, DB224 stores information such as the company name, the location of the intermediate processing plant (location data), the types of waste handled, the processing method, the processing unit price (waste cost data), the recycling rate (recycling rate data), GHG emissions, and final disposal site information (name, location (location data), types, etc.) (only for intermediate processing companies).

[0074] Data entry for the construction of the Waste Disposal Company DB224 can be done by linking data to JWNET, which centrally manages the progress of industrial waste disposal in Japan as electronic manifest information, via EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) or API (Application Programming Interface). Alternatively, data can be obtained from the waste disposal business permit issuance systems of each local government.

[0075] Furthermore, when constructing the waste disposal company DB224, if data entry is performed based on contracts and waste disposal business permits with each waste disposal company, efficiency can be improved by reading these documents using OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and analyzing them with AI.

[0076] As mentioned above, the waste disposal company DB224 has many data items and a huge number of waste disposal companies, so the computational load and memory usage of the simulation unit 2115 in the optimization process described above can become very large. Also, waste collection and transportation companies, intermediate processing companies, and final processing companies have strong connections with each other due to constraints such as regional characteristics and the types of waste they can process. For this reason, the waste disposal company DB224 may be constructed as a graph database. In this case, by assigning values ​​such as cost and GHG emissions to each node and relationship, the optimization process will output a route that minimizes each value.

[0077] <Calculation result DB> The calculation results DB225 stores the calculation results from the optimization process.

[0078] {Communications Department} The communication unit 23 consists of communication modules and the like. The communication unit 23 transmits and receives various signals and data to and from terminals 10 and other devices connected via the network N.

[0079] If the device 20 is a physical device, it may be configured to have components equivalent to the display unit 14 and operation input unit 15 of the terminal 10, allowing for direct operation input to the device 20.

[0080] [Effects of the Embodiment] As described above, the apparatus 20 according to this embodiment includes a first processing unit 211 that performs simulation processing to calculate environmental performance indicators and total costs by changing the conditions of influencing factors that affect environmental performance indicators, including environmental load information and recycling rate, throughout the entire lifecycle of a predetermined product, and an output unit 213 that outputs the simulation processing results of the first processing unit 211. With this configuration, for example, by performing simulation processing based on the current conditions of influencing factors and then comparing it with the results when the conditions of influencing factors are changed, it is possible to evaluate the balance of environmental load, recycling rate, and cost, taking into account the entire lifecycle of the product.

[0081] Furthermore, the output unit 213 outputs the conditions for the influencing factors necessary to achieve the environmental performance indicators and total costs set by the user. With this configuration, the user can select preferred conditions from among the conditions for the influencing factors that make it possible to achieve the set environmental management target items.

[0082] Furthermore, the device 20 includes a waste disposal company DB 224 in which information relating to waste disposal companies is stored, and the second processing unit 212 performs optimization processing based on the data stored in the waste disposal company DB 224. Specifically, for example, the breakdown of total costs includes disposal costs and transportation costs related to disposal, and the first processing unit 211 calculates the total cost based on the disposal cost data and location data stored in the waste disposal company DB 224. Alternatively, the first processing unit 211 calculates the recycling rate based on the recycling rate data stored in the waste disposal company DB 224. Alternatively, the environmental performance indicators include environmental impact assessment indicators, and the first processing unit 211 calculates environmental load information and / or environmental impact assessment indicators based on the location data stored in the waste disposal company DB 224. With this configuration, not only waste disposal companies with whom transactions are currently being conducted, but also other waste disposal companies that meet the conditions for treatable items can be targeted for simulation processing, creating the possibility of being able to do business with more suitable waste disposal companies.

[0083] Furthermore, the device 20 includes a second processing unit 212 that outputs balance management information to the output unit 213 based on the relationship between the amount of sustainable raw materials input and the amount of sustainable raw materials consumed in manufacturing, based on the mass balance method. This configuration makes it possible to manage the balance of the product and makes it easier to obtain ISCC certification.

[0084] Furthermore, the first processing unit 211 performs different optimization processes in the simulation process according to the environmental management target items set by the user. With this configuration, it is possible to identify the most suitable environmental factors for achieving the desired environmental management target items.

[0085] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but includes the scope of the invention as described in the claims and its equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0086] 100 Product Lifecycle Evaluation Systems 10 User terminals 20 Product Lifecycle Evaluation Equipment 211 First Processing Unit 212 Second Processing Unit 213 Output section 224 Waste Disposal Company Database

Claims

1. A first processing unit performs a simulation process to calculate environmental performance indicators and total costs by changing the conditions of influencing factors that affect environmental performance indicators, including environmental impact information and recycling rates throughout the entire lifecycle of a specified product, and total costs. An output unit that outputs the simulation processing results of the first processing unit, A product lifecycle evaluation device equipped with the following features.

2. The product lifecycle evaluation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output unit outputs the conditions for the influencing factors to achieve the environmental performance index and the total cost set by the user.

3. The breakdown of the aforementioned total cost includes disposal costs and transportation costs related to disposal. The system includes a waste disposal company database that stores information about waste disposal companies, The product lifecycle evaluation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first processing unit calculates the total cost based on the waste disposal cost data and location data stored in the waste disposal company DB.

4. The product life cycle evaluation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first processing unit calculates the recycling rate based on the recycling rate data stored in the waste disposal company DB.

5. The aforementioned environmental performance indicators include environmental impact assessment indicators. The product life cycle evaluation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first processing unit calculates the environmental load information and / or environmental impact assessment index based on the location data stored in the waste disposal company DB.

6. The product life cycle evaluation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second processing unit that causes the output unit to output mass balance information based on the relationship between the amount of sustainable raw materials input based on a mass balance method and the amount of sustainable raw materials consumed in manufacturing.

7. The product lifecycle evaluation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first processing unit performs different optimization processing in accordance with environmental management target items set by the user in the simulation processing.

8. A product lifecycle evaluation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The product lifecycle evaluation device comprises a user terminal connected to a network, The output unit is a product lifecycle evaluation system that outputs the simulation processing results to the user terminal.

9. A method for evaluating a product life cycle using a product life cycle evaluation device, A first processing step involves performing a simulation process to calculate environmental performance indicators and total costs by changing the conditions of environmental performance indicators, including environmental impact information and recycling rates, throughout the entire lifecycle of a specified product, as well as the conditions of influencing factors that affect the total cost. A product lifecycle evaluation method comprising: an output step that outputs the simulation processing results of the first processing step.

10. The computer for the product lifecycle evaluation device A first processing unit performs simulation processing to calculate environmental performance indicators and total costs by changing the conditions of influencing factors that affect environmental performance indicators, including environmental impact information and recycling rates throughout the entire lifecycle of a specified product, and total costs. An output unit that outputs the simulation processing results of the first processing unit, A product lifecycle evaluation program designed to function as such.

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