Recycling methods and taggants for recyclable products

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for uniquely identifying a product for subsequent recycling, the method comprising the step of marking a surface of the product with a first trace signature representative of the product's manufacturer. [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a recycling method and taggants for recyclable products or materials. In particular, the present invention relates to a recycling method and taggants for recyclable products that can be used to quickly and easily identify post-consumer materials to their original manufacturer origin, thereby allowing manufacturers to recover known material and rheological resources for true closed loop recycling. [Background technology]

[0002] Many foods, household and commercial cleaning products, personal care products, etc. are packaged in single-use polymers for ease of transport and use. In recent years, it has become clear that traditional recycling methods need to evolve to embrace a circular economy approach of "make and reuse" rather than "make and throw away". One immediate area of ​​focus is single-use post-consumer / industrial polymeric synthetic packaging. Recent public and government pressure has provided the impetus to find more sustainable solutions to this seemingly ever-growing problem.

[0003] Currently, PET bottle recycling is done in a way that is not defined by the manufacturer's polymer grade or color, limiting further recycling opportunities and alignment to a circular economy. To address this issue, a feasibility study funded by WRAP UK and Innovate UK was carried out in 2014 to investigate the technical and commercial feasibility of using an identification technology based on fluorescent pigments applied as masterbatches or pigments within the labels of plastic packaging to enable automated separation of a wide range of target materials such as high density polyethylene (HDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polypropylene (PP), enabling closed-loop recycling. The addition of a masterbatch could be used to separate the different target materials, but it was found to be too expensive to scale up and to have UV stability issues when used for products with long expiry dates. More importantly, in the case of food packaging plastics, there were food contact issues. Instead, marking with an RFID chip on the label to track the product has been proposed. This marking could be damaged or made unreadable during the packaging process, and given the harsh environment in which recyclable products are processed in recycling facilities (due to volumes and throughput), reliable recycling data was almost impossible to obtain.

[0004] Other marking systems known in the art include chemical etching, which can be used in a tool to etch a machine or human readable pattern or marker or code on the surface of the molded product, but this pattern or marker or code is fixed and therefore cannot be easily changed or modified without retiring the manufacturing tool, limiting rapid changes to the data and information required by the manufacturer, filler or brand owner, which is highly undesirable.

[0005] What this invention proposes is something very different: it allows plastic household and personal care products to be segregated based on their origin at Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) and / or Plastic Recovery Facilities (PRFs) with a simple, inexpensive mark or dot, allowing manufacturers to recover known material and rheological resources for true closed loop recycling.

[0006] In this application, the term "manufacturer" can refer to any manufacturer in the product lifecycle, including manufacturers of the product and manufacturers that use the product, for example, manufacturers that use the product and sell the product, e.g., bottle fillers. Thus, the term "manufacturer" includes manufacturers that directly and indirectly source within the supply chain and lifecycle of the product.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a method and taggants for recycling recyclable products that overcome or reduce the drawbacks associated with known products of this type. The present invention provides a method and taggants for recycling recyclable materials that are implemented as one or more UV, NIR and / or IR readable ink colors and shapes that are assigned to each manufacturer, and further allow for the assignment of additional colors and shapes that are assigned to the manufacturer's brand that allow for the detection of the material via MRF and / or PRF and recycling back to the primary or original manufacturer. A further object of the present invention is to provide traceable packaging materials and products that are recoverable through the supply chain and allow for the material to be returned to the original manufacturer for recycling, thus making this process compatible with duty of care and corporate governance policies. A further object of the present invention is to reduce reliance on virgin polymers while significantly increasing recycling rates and reducing costs. A further object of the present invention is to provide a fully automated method for separating reusable materials from raw materials and then using artificial intelligence to reuse and return them to the manufacturer. The present invention has the ability to enhance the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policies of manufacturers and dramatically improve environmental resource efficiency, thereby addressing many of the issues related to single-use plastics. Furthermore, the use of the present invention is Extended producer responsibility ( Extended Producer Responsibly (EPR) ) , Packaging Recovery Notes ( Packaging Recovery Note (PRN) ) , Packaging Export Recovery Notes ( Packaging Export Recovery Note (PERN) ) and other legal drivers and strategies. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The invention is described herein and in the claims. According to the present invention, there is provided a method for marking a product with a machine readable code, the method comprising the following steps. creating a trained database of digital images of the marked products; applying a machine readable code to at least a portion of the product or its packaging; Reading and verifying the code applied to the product; exposing the article to excitation conditions such that the machine-readable code fluoresces to permit recovery of the machine-readable code; A first image of the fluorescent shape or color of the machine-readable code is captured and the captured first image is matched against the trained database to identify at least the manufacturer or brand of the product.

[0009] An advantage of the present invention is that it can be used to identify post-consumer materials by a product manufacturer or brand from mixed ingredients and the data can be captured and verified to ensure regulatory compliance and / or track product consumption and lifecycle and / or identify patterns, trends and associations and can be used to monitor sales and marketing activities and promotions.

[0010] More preferably, the method further comprises the following steps: correlating the data recovered from the machine readable code with the identified manufacturer or brand of the product; Securely store the correlated data along with the product metadata and / or tracking information and / or timestamps in a remote database or cloud-based portal.

[0011] In use, the method may further comprise the steps of: The products are separated from mixed materials for subsequent recycling based on the detected fluorescent shape or color of the machine readable code.

[0012] Preferably, the machine-readable code is a 1D, 2D or 3D barcode, a Data Matrix or a QR Code, or any other suitable coding structure. More preferably, the machine-readable code is excited with radiation having an excitation wavelength in the UV, IR, NIR or visible light spectrum.

[0013] In use, the recovery of the machine readable code and the fluorescent shape or colour may be detected at the same or different excitation wavelengths in the same or different photodetectors.

[0014] Preferably, the recovered data in the machine readable code comprises production data and / or PRN and / or PERN and / or EPR compliance information.More preferably, the method further comprises the steps of: capturing a second image of the shape of the product; Labels remaining in and / or product shape and Color A search is performed to match the captured image against the trained database to identify at least the manufacturer or brand of the product.

[0015] In use, the second image is taken at a different excitation wavelength to the first image.Preferably, the machine readable code is a 2D data matrix that fluoresces red or orange under UV excitation.

[0016] Further in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a system for tracking products marked with a machine readable code, comprising: a product database including metadata and / or tracking information and / or timestamps for said products, configured to associate said products with a unique machine-readable code applied to at least a portion of the product or its packaging; detection means for simultaneously exposing said product to excitation conditions such that said machine-readable code fluoresces allowing said machine-readable code to be read using a bar code reader; the detection means includes a first camera means for capturing a first digital image of the fluorescent shape or color of the machine readable code and matching the captured first image with one of a plurality of digital images of the marked product to enable identification of at least a manufacturer or brand of the product; Means for automatically updating said product database with metadata and / or tracking information and / or timestamps of said products at one or more stages of the product's lifecycle.

[0017] Preferably, the detection means captures a second digital image of the shape of the product and Labels remaining in and / or the shape of the product and Color and a second camera means for enabling matching of the captured image against the trained database to identify at least the manufacturer or brand of the product.

[0018] According to the present invention there is provided a method of uniquely identifying a product for subsequent recycling, comprising the steps of: marking an exposed outer surface of the product and / or a portion of the product underlying a sleeve or label affixed thereto with a first trace signature representative of a manufacturer of the product.

[0019] An advantage of the present invention is that it can be used by a primary manufacturer of a product to identify post-consumer materials, thereby allowing the manufacturer to recover known material and rheological resources and upcycle them into new products. Preferably, said first trace signature is any chemical or physical marker that can be read by a detector. More preferably, said first trace signature is at least one ultraviolet (UV), NIR and / or infrared (IR) readable dot applied to said product using continuous inkjet printing or any other suitable marking or coding system. In use, said at least one readable dot is a transparent fluorescent mark that is only detectable when illuminated with UV, NIR and / or IR light by said detector.

[0020] Preferably, said at least one readable dot is printed in pairs on substantially opposing surfaces of said product, more preferably said at least one readable dot is printed randomly around the periphery of said product's surface.

[0021] In use, the fluorescent marking may be applied as a luminescent or fluorescent ink. Preferably, the fluorescent marking is applied having a base layer in contact with the product, a fluorescent layer over the base layer, and a top protective layer over the fluorescent layer.

[0022] More preferably, the base layer, the fluorescent layer and the top protective layer are applied via a continuous in-line inkjet printing process or any other suitable marking or coding system.

[0023] In use, the base layer is opaque, eliminating false positives when used with substantially transparent products.

[0024] Preferably, the fluorescent marking is completely removed during the subsequent recycling process. More preferably, the fluorescent marking does not obscure branding and / or product information associated with the product.

[0025] In use, the first trace signature may be a dot printed in one of a number of shapes and colours detectable by the detector.

[0026] Preferably, said dots are printed to have the shape of a triangle, square, rectangle, pentagon, hexagon, octagon, cylinder or any suitable polygon, or vertical or horizontal lines or bands.

[0027] More preferably, said first trace signature is detectable by its external shape and / or its visible colour and / or an alphanumeric identifier.

[0028] In use, the first trace signature may be applied to the product, and / or to a lid or closer of the product, and / or to a removable tear strip disposed between the product and the lid or closer.

[0029] Preferably, said first trace signature is applied to a printed label which is adhered to said product.

[0030] More preferably, the label is the name of the manufacturer and / or a RAL or Pantone code representing the manufacturer of the product.

[0031] In use, the first trace signature may be applied to a component of the product in pellet, liquid or powder form as a masterbatch or polymer carrier and delivered by gravimetric or other compatible dosing process.

[0032] More preferably, the product is a package.

[0033] In use, the packaging may be formed from a material selected from the group consisting of, but not limited to, any of the following: polymers, cardboard, paper, cellophane, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, composite alloys, and the like.

[0034] Preferably, the method further comprises applying a second trace signature to a surface of said product, said second trace signature being indicative of the brand or composition of said product.

[0035] More preferably, the first and second trace signatures are detected separately.

[0036] In use, the method further comprises the steps of: marking a surface of said product with a plurality of trace signatures representative of origin and / or base polymer manufacturer and / or polymer material and / or material grade and / or product brand, to enable subsequent separation of said products based on detected attributes of said products.

[0037] More preferably, the multiple trace signatures are printed as a string of readable dots, or as a 1D, 2D or 3D data matrix, barcode or QR code, or any other suitable industrial alpha, numeric or alphanumeric coding process.

[0038] Preferably, said string of readable dots is printed with registration marks.

[0039] The detector may detect the presence of illuminated UV and / or IR light and / or near infrared and / or visible light and / or shape or pattern recognition.

[0040] Also provided in accordance with the present invention is a recyclable product, comprising a mark on an exterior surface thereof that is a first trace signature representative of the manufacturer of the product.

[0041] Further in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method for detecting uniquely marked products for subsequent recycling, comprising the steps of: The detector reads the outer surface of the product, A first trace signature indicative of a manufacturer of the product is detected.

[0042] Further according to the present invention there is provided a method for closed-loop recycling of a target product marked with a first trace signature representative of a manufacturer of the product, comprising the steps of: detecting a first trace signature on an exterior surface of the product and separating the detected target product from the mixed ingredients based on the detection; Arbitrarily separate the target products into further subgroups based on brand or composition; shredding the separated product into flakes; washing the flakes; blending the washed flakes; The synthesized pellets are used to form new products.

[0043] Also in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a label for affixing to a recyclable product, the label having a first trace signature printed on an exterior surface thereof, the first trace signature being indicative of a manufacturer of the product.

[0044] Also in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method for uniquely identifying a target recyclable product in a continuous feedstock of mixed recyclable products, comprising: Capturing a digital image of a recyclable product; creating a trained database of the digital images of the recyclable products; recognizing the recyclable products in the digital image; and matching the recognized image of the target recyclable product with information in a product database.

[0045] Preferably, the method further comprises the following steps: Separating the target recyclable products and raw materials for subsequent recycling.

[0046] More preferably, said step of separating said target recyclable products from said raw materials for subsequent recycling is accomplished at a conveyor detection speed of greater than or equal to about 1 meter / second and less than or equal to about 3 meters / second.

[0047] In use, the target recyclable products may be separated from the raw materials based on the manufacturer or brand of the product.More preferably, the training and recognition steps are accomplished using a neural network.

[0048] Also in accordance with the present invention there is provided a computer program product for uniquely identifying a target recyclable product in a continuous feedstock of mixed recyclable products, comprising: means for a computer program to capture digital images of recyclable products; computer program means for creating a trained database of said digital images of said recyclable products; computer program means for recognizing said recyclable products in said digital images; and computer program means for matching said recognized images of target recyclable products with information in a product database.

[0049] Further in accordance with the present invention there is provided a system for uniquely identifying a target recyclable product in a continuous feedstock of mixed recyclable products, comprising: means for capturing a digital image of the recyclable product; means for creating a trained database of said digital images of said recyclable products; means for recognizing said recyclable products in said digital images; and means for matching the recognized image of the target recyclable product with information in a product database.

[0050] Preferably, the system further comprises means for separating said target recyclable products and raw materials for subsequent recycling.

[0051] It is believed that the recycling methods and taggants for recyclable products according to the present invention address at least the problems discussed above.

[0052] Variations of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is contemplated that the present invention can be used other than as specifically described herein. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0053] The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Figure 1] 1 is a flow chart showing the various steps of a method for recycling recyclable materials or products to their source according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 illustrates how the taggants of the present invention can be presented on the recyclable product itself, or on a separate label for subsequent attachment to the product, respectively. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 shows a flowchart illustrating the various steps of a method according to a second embodiment of the present invention for recycling recyclable materials or products to their source of manufacture, where the product is further marked with a second taggant representing the brand or polymer composition of the product. [Figure 4] 10 shows how the taggant of the second embodiment may be presented on the recyclable product itself, or on a separate label for subsequent attachment to the product, respectively. [Diagram 5] It represents a registration format for aligning and printing multiple taggants on a product, where the multiple taggants in this embodiment of the invention represent the manufacturer, product brand, base polymer manufacturer, polymer composition and grade, allowing for subsequent separation of recycled products based on one or more of these attributes of the product. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an example of how the multiple taggants shown in FIG. 5 may be displayed on a recyclable product. [Figure 7]5 is a flow chart showing the various steps of a method for recycling recyclable materials or products back to their source using artificial intelligence according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] Further examples of how the intelligent trace markers or taggants of the present invention can be applied to recyclable products are provided below. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing various steps of a method for managing the flow of recyclable materials or products using collected or recovered data and optionally recycling detected recyclable materials or products by using a combined optical detection system that utilizes spectral marker detection, barcode reader, and artificial intelligence to detect the shape of recyclable products according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 1 is a schematic diagram of a data retrieval and detection unit that can be retrofitted to an existing conveyor system in accordance with the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing how the data collected by the data search and detection unit of FIG. 10 can be connected to a local network and to a remote enterprise network or cloud-based system. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 illustrates a data image captured by the optical detection system of FIG. 10 and verified by reading a 2D Data Matrix code applied to the exterior surface of a reusable product. [Figure 13] 11 is a series of exemplary data images captured by the optical detection system of FIG. 10 and capable of detecting and identifying the manufacturer of a recyclable product based on the detected shape of a spectral marker taggant that has been applied to the exterior surface of the recyclable product using artificial intelligence capabilities. [Figure 14] 12A-12C are diagrams illustrating a series of example data images captured by the optical detection system of FIG. 10 and capable of using artificial intelligence capabilities to detect and identify the brand of a recyclable product based on its detected shape. [Figure 15]FIG. 12 illustrates a series of alpha, numeric and / or alphanumeric taggants applied to the exterior surface of a reusable product and detected and classified by the optical detection system of FIG. 10 using artificial intelligence capabilities. [Figure 16] Methods for applying the markers or taggants of the present invention to recyclable products as 2D data matrices and alphanumeric machine readable codes are further illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0054] The present invention employs an approach that utilizes recycling methods and taggants for recyclable materials implemented as one or more UV, NIR and / or IR readable ink colors and shapes assigned to each manufacturer, with additional color and shape assignments assigned to the manufacturer's brand that allow for detection of the material via MRFs and / or PRFs, and additional color and shape assignments that allow for recycling back to the primary or original manufacturer. Advantageously, the present invention provides traceable packaging materials and products that are recoverable through the supply chain and allow for the material to be returned to its manufacturer for recycling, thus making this process compatible with duty of care and corporate governance policies. Further advantageously, the present invention reduces reliance on virgin polymers while significantly increasing regeneration rates and reducing costs. Further advantageously, the present invention also provides a fully automated method for separating reusable materials from feedstocks and then recycling them back to the manufacturer using artificial intelligence. Further advantageously, the present invention has the ability to enhance manufacturers' CSR policies and dramatically improve environmental resource efficiency, thereby addressing many of the issues associated with single-use plastics. Furthermore, the use of the present invention can be used in a wide variety of applications, including Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), packaging and recovery Notes (PRN) and Packaging Export Recovery and ensure compliance with other legal drivers and strategies, such as the Notes (PERN).

[0055] Referring now to the drawings, a method 10 according to the present invention for recycling recyclable materials or products back to their source is shown in Figure 1. The method 10 described herein is a closed-loop recycling method, and therefore, one skilled in the art will understand that one can start at any point in the cycle and outline the following description therewith. In the following description, each step in Figure 1 will be referred to as "S" followed by the step number, e.g., S12, S14, etc.

[0056] For purposes of illustration, method 10 begins with manufacturer 20 producing a recyclable material, packaging or product 100 at S12. The term "recyclable material, packaging or product" is understood to encompass any item, substance or object that can be recycled. In the exemplary method 10 described in connection with FIG. 1, product 100 is a blow molded polymer bottle for containing a consumable product, but is not intended to be limiting.

[0057] At S14, the bottles are filled. At S16, a trace marker or taggant 102 is applied to the bottle representing the source of manufacture, after which the marker 102 can be read with the data being transmitted to the cloud in preparation for pairing within the MRF / PRF 26, as described in more detail below. The bottles are then sent from the manufacturer 20 to the end consumer, either directly or via a retail network, at step S18.

[0058] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that S12, S14, S16 and S18 may all occur at the manufacturer's facility 20 or be coordinated from the manufacturer's facilities.

[0059] After use, consumers return the bottles through local curbside recycling at S22, and the collected bottles at S24 are received and sorted at a materials recovery facility (MRF) or plastics recovery facility (PRF) 26.

[0060] At S28, the method 10 includes detecting trace markers or taggants 102 on the product 100 with a detector, as described further below. This is a continuous conveyor process in which positively identified bottles, i.e., those identified by the presence of trace markers or taggants 102, are ejected from the conveyor using pulses of air from multiple jets positioned adjacent to the conveyor.

[0061] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that after the detection step S28, the bottles from one manufacturer 20 can be transported or packaged for further processing / recycling, which can occur either at the MRF / PRF 26 or at a secondary processing facility 30. At the MRF / PRF 26 or secondary processing facility 30, S32 involves further sorting the already separated bottles from one manufacturer 20 into their polymer composition using standard near infrared (NIR) detection techniques. As shown for illustrative purposes in FIG. 1, in S32, the already sorted bottles from one manufacturer 20 are then optically sorted, for example, into one of three polymer types: high density polyethylene (HDPE) 34, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) 36, or polypropylene (PP) 38. Further separation is also possible, as described in FIG. 3.

[0062] Using the closed loop regeneration process 10 shown in Figure 1, the separate streams of polymer types 34, 36, 38 can then be granulated / shredded in S40 before being washed / dried in S42, which produces free-flowing flakes suitable for subsequent compounding into pellets or extrusion. The pellets are then mixed and may require the addition of a small amount of virgin polymer in S44 before being recycled as new product 100 in S12.

[0063] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that once the trace marker or taggant 102 has been applied, the product 100 has a permanent and unique characteristic that is customized to the manufacturer 20 of the product 100 .

[0064] The method 10 of the present invention, with new or modified computer files and upgrades to current near infrared (NIR) technology of light arrays, allows for detection of bottles at the recycling facility (MRF / PRF 26) which can automatically redirect the bottles to a bunker or segregation baler for subsequent reprocessing at the primary company's manufacturing facility 20, thus creating a "bottle-to-bottle" opportunity. The primary manufacturer 20 can then re-verify that the polymer pellets they receive in S42 are of known base polymer rheology prior to reprocessing.

[0065] Separation of the mixed bottle into single polymer types at S32 can be accomplished using known near infrared sorting techniques, programmed to ignore the trace markers or taggants 102 and only recognize the characteristics of the base polymer compound, with PP, HDPE, PET, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), etc., being separated accordingly. As described in connection with Figures 3-6, the signature of the base polymer compound can alternatively be detected using a second trace marker or taggant 102.

[0066] Figure 2a illustrates how the trace markers or taggants 102 of the present invention may be applied to a product as UV, NIR and / or IR readable dots 50a-50n, which in a preferred embodiment are applied using continuous inkjet printing technology at S16 of Figure 1. The term "inkjet printing" is understood to encompass any printing or marking technology that propels droplets of ink onto paper, plastic, or other substrates, e.g., valve jet, thermal inkjet, drop-on-demand, and piezo inkjet. Alternatively, other continuous printing or etching technologies, e.g., laser photonic printing or digital watermarking, may be utilized to apply the trace markers or taggants 102 and / or printed codes 88 to the product 100.

[0067] Known recycling infrastructure is based on near infrared (NIR) detection of different plastics. Thus, the IR readable dots 50a-50n can be easily integrated into existing recycling infrastructure. Currently, the majority of waste infrastructure (MRF / PRF26) utilizes NIR detection devices for material separation, and NIR / IR inks can be easily accommodated within current detection infrastructure systems, potentially requiring only minor software and / or hardware upgrades.

[0068] For IR ink formulations, current near infrared (NIR) detection technology in MRF / PRF26 operates between 1300nm and 1800nm, which is the standard operating detection window. Custom IR ink formulations can be provided as follows, for example:

[0069] Brand A emits yellow fluorescence at 1300 nm Brand B emits red fluorescence at 1400 nm Brand C fluoresces green at 1500 nm, etc.

[0070] Additionally, NIR / IR inks are less susceptible to degradation than UV inks, especially in environments where the dots 50a-50n may be exposed to the outside environment. Also, certain brands of fabric softeners and detergents contain UV optical brighteners in the liquid product and packaging labels. This can cause troublesome readings when using UV spectrum detection. In these cases, NIR / IR dots and spectrum detection can be used. The IR dots will not inhibit the signal when covered with excess detergent. This is because many home care products, cleaning fluids and fabric softeners, etc. contain UV brighteners in their formulas that can mask the UV ink mark signal. It is envisioned that UV, NIR and IR inks can be used as a mixed taggant for recyclable products 100, as described below in connection with FIG. 3.

[0071] The dots 50a-50n in a preferred embodiment of the present invention are luminescent or fluorescent marks at S28 that are transparent to the naked eye and detectable only when energized by ultraviolet (UV), near infrared (NIR) and / or infrared (IR) light at a detector. Those skilled in the art will recognize that detection at S28 can alternatively be incorporated as part of an existing near infrared detection step (S32) at the secondary processing facility 30.

[0072] Additionally, the dots 50a-50n that uniquely identify the manufacturer 20 of the product 100 may be any chemical or physical marker that can be read by a machine or a human. In a preferred embodiment, as S16, the dots 50a-50n are applied in pairs on opposing surfaces of the product 100 and printed using opposing inkjet printheads (not shown) so that when the collected product 100 is processed through the MRF / PRF 26, it is detected and blown away or robotically removed no matter what orientation the product 100 is facing on the conveyor.

[0073] In addition to the dots 50a-50n being detectable as UV, NIR and / or IR markers, one skilled in the art will appreciate that a contour, visible color and / or alphanumeric identifier may be provided as a means of uniquely marking the product 100. In the example shown in FIG. 2a, the dot 50a is a blue circle associated with primary manufacturer A; the dot 50b is an orange square associated with primary manufacturer B; the dot 50c is a red triangle associated with primary manufacturer C, and the dot 50n is a grey circular sector associated with primary manufacturer N. In another embodiment, the dots 50a-50n may be provided in the form of a Quick Response (QR) or 2D Data Matrix code 90, as described in more detail below with respect to FIG. 8. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that if product 100 is not detected by the UV, NIR and / or IR detectors as S28, e.g., if it falls off the conveyor prior to detection at S28, personnel at the MRF / PRF 26 can manually separate product 100 by simply interpreting the shape and / or color of dots 50a-50n. Clearly, the examples shown in FIG. 2a are only a subset of a much larger group of shapes and colors that can be utilized and are for illustrative purposes only.

[0074] 2b illustrates that the dots 50a may also be applied to a printed label 52 that is adhered to the product 100 during use. The printed label 52 may also include the manufacturer's name 54 and a RAL or Pantone code 56, which may be a four or six digit code, allowing personnel to manually identify the product 100 without having to pass the product 100 through a detector. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the preferred recycling method 10 of the present invention is a fully automated process, however, as a "fail-safe", various additional optical and / or alphanumeric and / or RAL / Pantone codes 56 may also be included to allow personnel at the MRF / PRF 26 or secondary processing facility 30 to manually identify the product 100.

[0075] Dots 50a-50n may also be printed on the lid or closer of product 100 and on the tear strip of the lid or closer to ensure that all parts of product 100 can be detected and recycled.

[0076] Masterbatches can also be used alone, in conjunction with taggant markers as described below, within certain components of the product 100 (e.g., lids, closures, tear strips, labels, etc.), or on the exterior surface of the product, depending on the requirements of the product 100 or the manufacturer 20.

[0077] If the tracing technology is applied only to the exterior surface of the bottle, the chemical properties of the polyolefin grade of polymer require that the surface of the substrate be made "wettable" and one such suitable technology available in the art for this purpose would be corona discharge. When configured as dots 50a-50n, the ink technology used therein is either completely removed during the recycling process and / or discharged as a gas or residue at temperatures consistent with the polymer formulation (S44). Such tracers 102 can be recognized by optical and near infrared detection technologies in current recycling infrastructure. These detection systems are common in MRFs / PRFs 26 and secondary processing facilities 30 and are capable of detecting numerous material types, including polymers.

[0078] FIG. 3 illustrates a second embodiment of the closed loop remanufacturing method 10, which is very similar to the first embodiment, with corresponding features being given the same reference numbers. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that, rather than simply separating the products 100 at the MRF / PRF 26 based on detection of the first dots 50a-50n indicative of the manufacturer 20, the products 100 are additionally marked with second UV, NIR and / or IR readable dots 70a-70n indicative of the brand of the product 100. The advantage of this is that the MRF / PRF 26 has the ability to detect the first dots 50a-50n by the manufacturer 20. Products 100 from a single manufacturer 20 can then be packaged for separation at the manufacturer's facility 20 or at a secondary processing facility 30 based on the particular brand of the product 100 or the polymer-based material from which it is formed.

[0079] 3 shows further details of such a two-stage detection method, which is only a portion of the closed-loop regeneration method 10 shown in FIG. 1 and which replaces steps S24-S44 shown in FIG.

[0080] In FIG. 3, in S58, the bottles are received at the MRF / PRF 26 for sorting along with other local carving side recyclates. A primary detection unit can be retrofitted to the MRF / PRF 26, and in S60, the primary detection unit detects the first dots 50b-50o by the manufacturer 20, but not the secondary dots 70b-70o. The primary unit's main job is to discharge bottles marked only by the manufacturer dots 50a-50n, regardless of polymer type. At the output of S60, single-source manufacturer bottles, whether HDPE, PP, or PET bottles, are separated and can be packaged for future recycling.

[0081] After being detected by the primary detection unit, in S62, the mixed color and polymer bales can enter a secondary recycling facility 30 where the bales are opened and sorted into material groups by standard NIR detection as follows:

[0082] 1.Mixed color HDPE 2.Mixed color PET 3. Mixed color PP

[0083] and as described above in relation to S32 in FIG. Alternatively or in addition, the method 10 may include the use of a secondary mark detection unit at S64 that is programmed to not recognize the primary manufacturer dots 50a-50n, but only the secondary marks 70a-70n, thus separating the single source material groups (from S62) into brands, e.g., HDPE brand A bottles are detected and ejected at S66 by UV, NIR and / or IR readable orange rectangles. Similarly, HDPE brand B bottles are detected and ejected at S66 by ETV and / or IR readable red triangles. For example, PET brand C bottles are detected and ejected at S68 by UV and / or IR readable grey circular sectors, and PP bottles are siloed at S71. These separated bottles can now be sorted by manufacturer and brand and then sorted by standard NIR detection into further material groups before being reused as new product 100, prior to granulation S72, washing / drying S74 and compounding S76. Secondary detection in S64 need not be by polymer type alone, but by UV, NIR, and / or IR readable multi-color associated with the brand, not the manufacturer 20, although separation can be by other attributes or characteristics of the recycled product 100, as described below in connection with Figures 5 and 6.

[0084] Figure 4a shows how the trace marker or taggant 102 of the present invention may be applied to a product 100 as two dots, namely, primary manufacturer dots 50a-50n and secondary dots 70a-70n, which are applied using continuous inkjet printing technology at S16 of Figure 1. In the example shown in Figure 4a, primary dot 50a is a blue circle associated with primary manufacturer A, secondary dot 70a is an orange square associated with brand A of primary manufacturer A, secondary dot 70b is a red triangle associated with brand B of primary manufacturer A, and secondary dot 70n is a grey circular sector associated with brand C of primary manufacturer A.

[0085] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that if the product 100 is not detected by a UV, NIR and / or IR detector as in S28, an operator at the MRF / PRF 26 would know to manually separate the product 100 by simply interpreting the shape and / or color of the primary dots 50a-50n and secondary dots 70a-70n. Again, the examples shown in FIG. 4a are only a subset of a much larger group of shapes and colors that can be utilized and are for illustrative purposes only.

[0086] 4b also shows that the primary dots 50a and secondary dots 70a-70n may also be applied to a printed label 52 that is adhered to the product 100 during use. The printed label 52 also includes the manufacturer's name 54 and a RAL or Pantone code 56, which may be a four or six digit code, allowing personnel to manually identify the product 100 without having to pass the product 100 through a detector.

[0087] 5 illustrates how the present invention, instead of utilizing only one or two uniquely identifiable trace markers or dots, can use multiple dots to indicate the manufacturer 20, base polymer manufacturer, polymer material, material grade, and product brand, thereby allowing for subsequent separation of recycled products 100 based on one or more attributes or characteristics of the product 100. FIG. 5 illustrates one style of registration for aligning and printing multiple dots in a string on the product 100, where the multiple dots in this embodiment of the present invention represent the manufacturer 50a-50j, product brand 70a-70d, base polymer manufacturer 80a-80j, polymer material 82a-82d, and material grade 84a-84d, allowing for subsequent separation of recycled products 100 based on one or more attributes of the product 100, as shown in FIG.

[0088] 5 also illustrates one style of registration mark 86 for aligning and printing multiple dots on product 100. As discussed with respect to FIGS. 2 and 4, the rows of dots may also include a RAL or Pantone code 56, which may be a four or six digit code, allowing an operator to manually identify product 100 or its attributes without passing product 100 through a detector.

[0089] FIG. 6 shows an illustrative example of how the dots shown in FIG. 5 can be arranged on the product 100 during use.

[0090] 7 shows a third embodiment of the closed loop remanufacturing method 10, which is very similar to the first and second embodiments, with corresponding features being given the same reference numbers. The third embodiment differs from the first and second embodiments in that instead of separating the products 100 with the MRF / PRF 26 based on the detection of the primary dots 50a-50n indicative of the manufacturer 20 and the secondary dots 70a-70n indicative of the brand of the product 100, artificial intelligence is used to separate the products 100. The advantage of this is that the products 100 do not necessarily need to have trace markers or taggants 102 applied.

[0091] Figure 7 shows further details of such a fully automated detection method, which is only partially described in the closed loop regeneration method 10 shown in Figure 1 and which replaces steps S24-S38 shown in Figure 1.

[0092] In Figure 7, in S110, mixed bottle feed is received at PRF 26 or secondary processing facility 30 for sorting. S112 involves sorting the mixed bottle feed into their polymer compositions using standard near infrared detection techniques. As shown for illustrative purposes in Figure 7, in S112, the bottles are optically classified, for example, into one of three polymer types: HDPE 114, PET 116 or PP 118.

[0093] In a continuous process, a single artificial intelligence (AI) unit acts as a primary detection and pick by detecting pre-sorted bottles and removing bottles by shape, brand and color for one manufacturer 20. For example, in S120, HDPE bottle feedstock is sorted into three streams based on recognition of brands A, B and C of manufacturer A. In S122, PET bottle feedstock is simultaneously sorted into three streams based on recognition of brands D, E and F of manufacturer A. As before, the separated polymer type streams are granulated / shredded prior to washing / drying and the shredded flakes are mixed (not shown in Figure 7). Thus, the sorting step defines polymer groups and their physical properties, e.g., melt flow index, tensile strength, flexural modulus, etc., for upseeking as new bottles.

[0094] It is envisioned that a large number of photographic images or a large number of actual crushed bottles are fed into the AI ​​unit, and the AI ​​unit's camera and processor learn the geometry and characteristics of each bottle type. The unit's neural network processor then learns the important features and parameters of each bottle type, and the trained neural network processor can select target bottles and remove them vertically from the conveyor in a high speed robotic pick as they pass under the camera. By acquiring a large number of crushed bottle images, a more reliable selection is achieved.

[0095] The artificial intelligence detection methods and systems described herein can be used to improve detection of related products by UV, NIR and / or IR dots, and / or product geometry, size and shape, and / or logo design, branding, and alphanumeric codes. The artificial intelligence detection methods and systems described herein can also detect products marked with 1D, 2D or 3D data matrix, barcodes and QR codes, or any other suitable industrial alpha, numeric or alphanumeric coding process, as described below in connection with FIG. 8. Thus, it is envisioned that the AI ​​unit can process pre-sorted product feedstock based on detected trace markers or taggants 102, as described above, or an integrated or combined detection method and system can pick out target bottles at high speed as the mixed feedstock passes under a camera or detector, based on a trained database of digital images of recyclable products and / or detection of any of the optical UV / NIR or IR trace signatures described herein.

[0096] 8 illustrates a method of applying a trace marker or taggant 102 of the present invention to a recyclable product 100 in the form of a printed code 88. As described herein, such printed codes 88 may be detected at the MRF / PRF 26 or secondary processing facility 30 for separation and subsequent recycling back to the source of manufacture 20, and / or classification by one or more attributes of the product 100, such as brand, polymeric material, material grade, and / or color.

[0097] FIG. 8 shows an example where a trace marker or taggant 102 is applied as a printed code 88, more specifically in the form of a 2D Data Matrix code 90, to a recyclable product 100 shown on the left side of FIG. 8. The 2D Data Matrix code 90 is applied to the product 100 using continuous inkjet printing. To facilitate detection by current near-infrared detection technology, the 2D Data Matrix code 90 shown in FIG. 8 is printed using UV inks and is readable using standard NIR detectors at the MRF / PRF 26 or secondary processing facility 30. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the UV ink fluoresces red to aid in detection and reading during the recycling process. Other colors can also be read and would require an optical array upgrade to current near-infrared (NIR) detection technology. For example, there are inks that can combine both UV / IR properties. In particular, they can be excited at low UV spectrum for example UV detection and reading of the Data Matrix code 90, and then excited at higher wavelengths for detection by existing optical NIR detection at the MRF / PRF 26 for later separation by fluorescing colors depending on the brand, manufacturer, etc. Therefore, separate information can be read from the same Data Matrix 90, i.e. the data stored in the Data Matrix code 90 can be read at one excitation wavelength and the fluorescent color according to manufacture / brand can be read at a second excitation wavelength for emission, recovery and recycling; in such a situation, only one Data Matrix code 90 is required.

[0098] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the data matrix 90 can be read immediately after the manufacture of the product 100 or at any time during its transportation, utilization and disposal, and also at any time before the recycled product 100 is granulated / shredded. When read with a detector, which may be a handheld reader, the data collected at any time in the life cycle of the product 100 can be transferred to a corporate network or cloud-based system to provide the manufacturer 20 with a large amount of data set that can be processed using various processing techniques to extract and transform information for further commercial use and planning during the manufacture, transportation, distribution, utilization and recycling of the product 100.

[0099] Thus, one embodiment of the present invention is provided using a random pattern of printed UV / IR / NIR colored Data Matrix codes 90 placed on a product 100. The Data Matrix 90 allows for key analytics to be stored and recovered upon reading, and the Data Matrix 90 itself is a UV / IR / NIR fluorescent color block that can be detected by new, existing, or upgraded optical systems at the MRF / PRF 26, or via a reverse sales system for brand retrieval and subsequent recycling. This means that a combination of information can be stored on the product 100, one color mark can be read to obtain the information stored in the Data Matrix 90, and products 100 can be separated based on manufacturer / brand etc. by detecting the fluorescent color of the Data Matrix 90 itself.

[0100] The printed code 88 shown on the right side of FIG. 8 can include a generally square solid marker 94 measuring approximately 30 mm by 30 mm on the product 100. Although not shown in FIG. 8, the printed code 88 is applied in pairs on opposing surfaces of the product 100. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that when each of the multiple dots 92a-n forming the printed code 88 is printed, a substantially solid marker 94 is applied to the product 100, and such marker 94 can be detected at the MRF / PRF 26 or secondary processing facility 30 for separation and subsequent recycling back to the manufacturer 20, and / or detection based on one or more attributes of the product 100, such as sorting by brand, polymeric material, material grade, and / or color, as described herein in connection with FIGS. 1-6.

[0101] Additionally, the printed data code 88, when embodied as a 1D, 2D or 3D data matrix, barcode and QR code, or any other suitable industrial alpha, numeric or alphanumeric coding process, can be used in conjunction with the color and shape identification, brand, material spectrum or taggant markers described herein to provide additional data representative of one or more attributes or characteristics of the product 100. This data embodied in the printed code 88 can include, for example, the manufacturer 20, brand, color, polymer composition, place of manufacture, date of manufacture, expiration date and / or other relevant date stamps (in Julian or Gregorian format), anti-counterfeiting measures, regulatory compliance, etc., and when read by a detector, the information contained therein can be transferred from the MRF / PRF 26 to an enterprise network or cloud-based system. Such a data set can be extremely useful in terms of managing the flow of recycled material 100, and this data can be used primarily for resource planning, for example, to quantify in near real time how much feedstock (total quantity, type, brand, etc.) a manufacturer 20 has at various MRF / PRF sites 26 or secondary processing facilities 30 for subsequent reuse. Additionally, the data set contained in the intelligent printed code 88 can also be used to monitor sales and marketing activities and promotions and how they affect the consumption and life cycle of the product 100.

[0102] Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that ensuring the required print quality of the Data Matrix code 90 and read data checks or verifications are defined by various international standards including ISO / IEC 15415 and ISO / IEC 16022. In a preferred embodiment, it is important that the UV / IR / NIR Data Matrix 90 is printed on the bottle 100 as an A or B grade quality Data Matrix 90 as required by the manufacturer and retailer, allowing for an amount of redundancy for the Data Matrix 90 to go through the consumer and recycling cycle and allowing for inherent error correction where if the mark is damaged through this cycle, the Data Matrix code 90 may degrade to a C grade by the time the product 100 reaches the optical Data Matrix detector / reader of the MRF / PRF 26, or any other suitable location 30 for reading. The inherent verification of the Data Matrix 90 ensures compliance with these industry standards, which is invaluable for reading and decoding the Data Matrix 90 for PRN, PERN, and / or EPR regulatory compliance. The decoded data is then transferred from the company's data storage systems / cloud to the blockchain network and then forwarded to regulatory agencies in the manufacturer's home country and overseas.

[0103] Similarly, a spaced array 96 of dots 92a-n of any shape and configuration may be envisioned, as shown on the left side of Figure 8. Such an array of dots 92a-n allows for detection by shape and color, such as by manufacturer 20, brand, rheology and color, as described above, but the location and appearance of the dots 92a-n within the data matrix (particular X,Y coordinates on the product 100) carry additional data representative of one or more attributes or characteristics of the reusable product 100.

[0104] Detection of the printed code 88 can be read on a separate system, or possibly in conjunction with an optical detection system for spectral marker separation, as described herein. The aforementioned code 88 is also ETV / IR / NIR colored and associated with a brand, e.g., yellow for brand A, blue for brand B, as in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0105] Such intelligent markers or printed codes 88, which may be used in conjunction with standard shape and color markers by brand, manufacturer 20, etc., as described herein, may also be provided by upconversion phosphors of fine ceramic particles that provide a color response when excited by invisible light at 980 nm. When these upconversion particles are illuminated with infrared light in NIR / IR conditions, they emit colored light visible to the human eye and to existing optical detectors in the MRF / PRF 26.

[0106] Additionally, if an FMCG / manufacturer 20 wishes to collect bottles / packaging 100 regardless of brand, polymer type or color and only requires a mixed bale specific to the manufacturer, it is possible to use an ETV or IR Data Matrix code 90 in the following ways: First, the Data Matrix 90 is fluoresced and valuable data such as geographic location, consumer habits, anti-counterfeiting, PRN, PERN and / or EPR regulatory compliance is collected in one area or location of the conveyor, which data is then collected in the cloud. Then, further down the conveyor, in a second area or location, existing optical detection in the MRF / PRF 26 uses the checkerboard colored fluorescent blocks in the Data Matrix code 90 to pick out the manufacturer specified colors for collection and recycling. In these situations, only one mark 90 is required.

[0107] The present invention also provides the opportunity to further mark the baled manufacturer / brand specific recyclable products 100 after they have been sorted. This involves applying a machine readable code to the baled product 100, which fluoresces under excitation conditions to allow detection and recovery of the coded data, and the fluorescing shape or color of the machine readable code allows for rapid detection of the manufacturer / brand of the product 100 and also allows for sharing of the data to a cloud based portal.

[0108] FIG. 9 illustrates a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The method 10 of the fourth embodiment is very similar to that of the first, second and third embodiments, and corresponding features have been given the same reference numbers. The fourth embodiment differs from the first, second and third embodiments in that instead of separating the products 100 at the MRF / PRF 26 based on the detected manufacturer 20 and / or brand of the recycled product 100, and / or other detected identifiable trace markers or attributes, data is acquired from the products 100 in several different ways, including the use of artificial intelligence. This acquired data can be sent back to the manufacturer 20 in real time or near real time, allowing the manufacturer 20 to make informed decisions before and after the return of the material 100 to the circular economy.

[0109] Method 10 begins at S124 where a neural network processor connected to an AI-enabled video camera learns important features and parameters of each of the product 100 types.

[0110] Branded and logo-assigned packaging 100 is presented to an AI-enabled bottle shape camera to develop a library of images for pre- and post-consumer use, the library of images provided showing the product 100 in production quality and in the post-consumer and recycling stages. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that pre- and post-recycling stage products are often damaged, crushed, and distorted. The camera trains a neural network to recognize distorted and damaged brands and logos, as well as the general characteristics and shapes of partner manufacturer's 20 packaging 100.

[0111] In S126, the manufacturer 20 or bottle filler fills the recyclable packaging 100. In a preferred embodiment, a red or orange UV2D data matrix 90 is applied to the visible exterior surface of the product 100 and / or a visible ink data matrix 90 is integrally applied to a coated surface (e.g., under a sleeve or label that is often removed prior to recycling). By the same process, assigned spectral marker taggants 102 are applied in UV ink for visible ink on the visible surface and / or coated surface by brand, shape, color, alpha, numeric or alphanumeric code 88. All markers 102 are applied by a coding process to the exterior surface of the bottle 100, or to the sleeve and labeling during the printing stage, or by coding the sleeve or labeling.

[0112] At S128, the data matrix 90 and assigned spectral marker taggants 102 are verified. This is accomplished using a machine vision camera that reads the data applied to the custom data matrix 90 and forwards this information to a cloud-based portal in preparation for subsequent pairing at the MRF and / or PRF 26 during the recycling and recovery phase (at S134).

[0113] The marked product 100 is then sent from the manufacturer 20 to the end consumer, either directly or through a retail network, at S130. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that all of S126, S128, and S130 occur at the manufacturer's facility 20 or are coordinated from the manufacturer's facility.

[0114] After use, in S132, the consumer then returns the bottle 100 through local curbside recycling, and in S134, the collected products are received at the MRF 24 or PRF 26 for sorting.

[0115] In S134, the product 100 is received at the MRF 26, at which point the packaging 100 is separated using traditional mixed recyclables separation methods. The polymer fraction of mixed polymers such as HDPE, PET, and PP is baled for recycling at the PRF 26. The MRF 26 can also read and remove branded packaging.

[0116] At S136, the product 100 is received at the PRF 26 and data read from the product 100 is received. The detection method 10 of Figure 9 is performed using a retrofittable optical detection system 160 that utilizes spectral marker detection, barcode reader, and artificial intelligence to detect the shape of the reusable product 100 and is shown in further detail in Figures 10 and 11.

[0117] At the PRF 26, the sealed packaging is opened and unwanted trash materials such as metal, paper, cardboard, etc. are removed. The bottles 100 are then optically sorted using conventional NIR sorting techniques or other suitable separation methods into the desired single polymer streams, such as HDPE natural, PET clear and mixed color HDPE and PP streams. These materials fall from the optical sorter onto three separate conveyors, preferably, but not limited to, moving at 2 meters / second or less.

[0118] At S136, the three-stage detection unit 140 identifies the package 100. The ETV or white light camera 152 reads the data matrix 90 of the ETV red or orange or visible ink, which is correlated with the data applied during the marking stage (S128 at the manufacturer 20 or filler as described above). If this data cannot be obtained from the data matrix 90 due to damage, the detection unit 140 attempts to identify the package 100 by the brand-specific UV or visible ink shape or color marker or taggant 102 applied at the manufacturer 20 during or simultaneously with the filling stage (S126) using the UV spectrum marker camera 154. The AI-enabled video camera 158 supports this information collection and processing by attempting to identify remnants of labeling or remnants from a previously trained image database. All this information is constantly sent to a cloud-based portal that allows the manufacturer 20 to access the information, which allows them to make informed choices about the path of their recycled packaging 100 back into the circular economy, as shown in more detail in connection with Figures 10 and 11.

[0119] At S138, the packages / products 100 are retrieved. Under ambient, white or UV light conditions, a robotic picker operating via machine vision or artificial intelligence picks by brand assigned shape and color taggants 102, or alpha, numeric or alphanumeric codes 88 or data matrices 90, as described herein. The reusable products 100 can be retrieved from the conveyor 144 with generally vertical extraction techniques that minimize the risk of collision with non-target material, or as with horizontally operating push type devices otherwise known in the art.

[0120] The brand-specified color and shape markers 102 can also be identified by high-speed existing optical sorters operating under UV or white light conditions, allowing recovery of the product 100. The material 100 can then be sent to the manufacturer's recycling and formulation partner 20 for removal of the ink markers, cleaning, size reduction, and formulation to their technical parameters for reuse in new packaging.

[0121] 10 shows a schematic diagram of a data retrieval detection unit 140 that can be retrofitted to an existing conveyor system and used with the MRF / PRF 26 in accordance with the present invention. The detection unit 140 forms part of a detection and data retrieval system 160 that can be connected to a local network and to a remote enterprise network or cloud-based system of the manufacturer 20, as shown in more detail in FIG.

[0122] In the MRF / PRF 26, the detection unit 140 is an enclosure 142 located on a conveyor 144 along which the recyclable products 100 are transported. In a preferred embodiment, the recyclable products 100 are transported such that they enter a first detection zone 146 and then a second detection zone 148, however, this is not intended to be limiting in any way as the order of the shape and color taggants 102 of the recyclable products 100 that are detected within the detection unit 140, or the alpha, numeric or alphanumeric code 88 or data matrix 90 applied to the exterior surface of the products 100, and the detected shape of the recyclable products 100 that are detected within the detection unit 140 can be varied. The detection unit 140 utilizes a machine vision (optical) camera detection system 150 which in a preferred embodiment includes two detection zones, namely a first detection zone 146 operating under UV conditions capable of reading both the UV data matrix 90 and the brand designated colors and shapes 50, 70, 80, 82, 84, 102 as described herein. The machine vision camera detection system 150 includes at least one UV or white light camera 152 which reads the red or orange or visible ink data matrix 90. In a preferred embodiment, the UV or white light camera 152 is a 2D barcode reader. The reading is then correlated with data applied during the marking stage (S128 at the manufacturer 20 or filler as described above). If this data cannot be obtained from the data matrix 90 due to damage, the machine vision system 150 attempts to identify the package 100 by the brand-specific UV or visible ink shape or color 50, 70, 80, 82, 84, 102 applied by the manufacturer 20 during the filling stage (S126) using a second UV light detector 154. In a preferred embodiment, the first detection zone 14 is illuminated with UV light using a UV bar light 156.

[0123] The second detection zone 148 of the unit 140 is also , remaining labels and a machine vision (optical) camera detection system 150 including an AI video camera system 158 looking for possible bottle shapes and colors. While those skilled in the art know that most labels fall off during the recycling process and that bottles 100 are often crushed beyond discernible recognition, the AI ​​video system 158 effectively acts as a fail-safe and can effectively identify the shape of the recyclable product 100 being crushed and transported, as will be outlined in more detail in connection with FIG. 14. In a preferred embodiment, the second detection zone is illuminated by a white diffuse bar light 160.

[0124] In a preferred embodiment, the AI-enabled cameras 154 and 158 operate with UV light and white diffuse light in the first and second detection zones 146, 148, respectively, although this is not intended to be limiting as the AI-enabled cameras 154, 158 can operate with ambient light, white or diffuse light, or UV light, or a combination of the above spectrums within a single detection unit 140.

[0125] With reference to Figure 11, the detection unit 140 forms part of a detection and data retrieval system 160 that may be connected to a local network and to a remote enterprise network or cloud-based system of the manufacturer 20. As shown diagrammatically in Figure 11, the various camera systems 152, 154, 158 are connected to a control unit 162 that may be contained within an enclosure or housing 164. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of a hardware configuration and that for ease of explanation many other circuit elements have not been shown.

[0126] A control unit 162 controls power to the various camera systems 152, 154, 158 and the lights 156, 160. The control unit 162 includes a local personal computer 166. As shown generally in FIG. 11, the local PC 166 receives a number of inputs from the various camera systems 152, 154, 158 via a GigE interface switch 168. The local PC 166 can be considered a self-contained system with a CPU, memory and peripherals that can be used to process the data received from the various camera systems 152, 154, 158 and output information to the MRF / PRF 26 and / or manufacturer 20 via a number of outputs.

[0127] Connection to other input / output peripherals and / or other wirelessly connected devices is enabled using wireless transmission protocols such as, for example, Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 standard), Bluetooth, or cellular communication networks, and / or by using Near Field Communication (NFC) protocols. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the control unit 162 may be connected to other external devices via a wired network connection 172.

[0128] Updates or further content to the software controlling the detection and data retrieval system 160 may be downloaded to the local PC 166 via a local USB port interface, or using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular communications network or NFC antenna, or wirelessly via network connection 172. In a preferred embodiment, the control unit 162 is powered by an external AC power source 170 and connected to the local network via connection 172. Data collected by the detection and data retrieval system 160 of FIG. 11 may be transmitted in real time or near real time to a remote enterprise network or cloud-based system (not shown) utilizing any number of interfaces and communication protocols known in the art.

[0129] As described above, the information retrieved from the detection unit 140 allows the manufacturer 20 and / or brand owner to better understand consumer habits, product cycle times, geographic location of recyclables 100, demographic strengths and weaknesses, and the like in near real-time.

[0130] The data acquired will drive regulatory compliance for PRN and EPR. Naturally, there is a great focus and emphasis on manufacturers 20 to contribute more to the cost of waste recovery. Data is key for government agencies, brand owners 20, and recycling and strategic partners to quantify, understand, and prove critical of where a product 100 is in its supply, consumption, and recycling lifecycle. FIG. 12 shows a data image (screenshot) captured by the UV or white light camera 2D barcode reader 152 of the machine vision camera detection system 150 of FIG. 10 and reading and verifying a 2D Data Matrix code 90 applied to the exterior surface of a reusable product 100. In the example shown in FIG. 12, the camera 152 has read and verified a red or orange or visible ink Data Matrix 90 that is directly illuminated by a UV emitting or white light source 156 and read, checked, and verified as outlined above.

[0131] FIG. 12 shows a data image captured by a UV camera 2D barcode reader 152 and the resulting data obtained from a data matrix 90 on a shattered sleeved PET package 100 using red and / or orange UV ink. Such red and orange UV inks have been found to significantly address the UV optical brightener issues observed on the labeling of some products 100 and can also address issues sometimes encountered resulting from residues from home and personal care products that can cause noise issues and color interference.

[0132] As can be seen from FIG. 12, captured red or orange UV data matrices 90, and the like, even if distorted, damaged, or at different orientations on the conveyor 144, all take advantage of the inherent error correction capabilities to provide a reliably readable data matrix 90.

[0133] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the detection unit 140, which can be installed before or after an existing NIR optical sorter in the MRF / PRF 26, combines multiple cameras 152, 154, 158 in each unit 140 for the two detection technologies. The phrase "before existing NIR optical sorter" is understood to mean that the detection unit 140 is installed before the recyclable products 100 are sorted into separate polymer compositions using existing NIR detection technology, as shown in S28 of Figure 1. Alternatively, it is entirely possible to install the detection unit 140 after the products 100 have already been separated into separate polymer streams using existing NIR detection technology (i.e. after S32 of Figure 1), which is what is meant by the phrase "after existing NIR optical sorter".

[0134] A first detection zone 146 in the detection unit 140 combines multiple 1D and 2D barcode readers 152, preferably in an arc formation, operating under UV light conditions to capture data from 1D or 2D barcodes, QR Codes or Data Matrix 90 and share it to a suitable database or cloud-based technology. Within the same first detection zone 146 is a UV light detector 154 with artificial intelligence capabilities to analyze the bottles or packaging 100 on the conveyor 144 below and match the bottles or packaging 100 with manufacturer 20 or brand specified UV shape and color, alpha, numeric or alphanumeric codes 50, 70, 80, 82, 84, 88, 102 as outlined below.

[0135] The barcode reader 152 is positioned in the arc so that the plane is flat when the bottle 100 is first marked (S126). When packed during recycling, the Data Matrix 90 or 2D code is not damaged, but creases in the bottle or package 100 will change its orientation to either the left or right, so two or more cameras 152 positioned in the arc will increase the detection rate.

[0136] The detection unit 140 may be deployed in either pre-optical sorting or post-optical sorting techniques, or may be installed as part of a new processing facility or retrofitted within an existing infrastructure.

[0137] In another embodiment, three of the units 140 are located within the MRF / PRF 26 and the output may be analyzed as follows.

[0138] Line 1-HDPE Natural-Food Packaging Grade (Mainly Milk Bottles) Line 2 - PET clear and blue tint (mainly water bottles) Line 3-HDPE and PP colored bottles (mainly household and personal care products)

[0139] 13 illustrates a series of exemplary data images captured by the UV light detector 154 of the machine vision camera detection system 150 of FIG. 10 that can detect and identify the manufacturer or brand of the recyclable product 100 based on the detected shape or color of the spectral marker taggants 50, 70, 80, 82, 84, 102 applied to the exterior surface of the recyclable product 100. This optical spectral marker detector 154, located in the first detection zone 146, has artificial intelligence capabilities and analyzes the bottles or packaging 100 on the conveyor 144 below to match the UV shape, alpha, numeric or alphanumeric code assigned by the manufacturer 20 or brand to the bottle or packaging 100 that corresponds to the UV color within the UV colors 50, 70, 80, 82, 84, 88, 102.

[0140] 13 is comprised of three images: a) a data image obtained from a UV blue square taggant or marker 102 applied to the exterior surface of the product 100; b) a data image obtained from a UV red square taggant or marker 102 applied to the exterior surface of the product 100; and c) a data image obtained from a UV red circle taggant or marker 102 applied to the exterior surface of the product 100. Each image displays the degree of certainty, as a percentage, that the spectral marker 102 was classified. An initial set of training images is used to first train the neural network to identify different fluorescent shapes 102, and then to recognize distorted and potentially damaged trace markers 102 of different shapes and colors. In the example shown in Figure 13, the neural network was trained using a relatively small number of training images and using red and blue UV inks printed as circles, squares and triangles on the exterior surfaces of various test packaging 100.

[0141] FIG. 13 shows a number of samples obtained by the optical spectral marker detector 154, where the system 160 was able to distinguish most of the shapes 102, with low misclassifications on the first attempt. As expected, FIG. 13a, shown as a blue square 102 on the packaging, is correctly classified by the system 160, as is the red square 102 in FIG. 13b, even though the packaging 100 is more deformed. FIG. 13c is correctly classified as a red circle 102, although with less than 100% certainty. Looking at FIG. 13c, depending on how the bottle 100 is deformed, the marker 102 may appear to fluoresce with different intensities (i.e., shadows) along the inner straight edges of the circle 102. Any fracture or deformation of the product 100 along the straight edges would explain this behavior. Even within a limited number of samples and training (examples of which are shown in FIG. 13 for illustrative purposes only), it is possible to build a reliable system for determining the manufacturer 20 or brand of a bottle 100 based on the detected UV shape and color, or alpha, numeric or alphanumeric code.

[0142] FIG. 14 shows an example series of data images captured by the AI-enabled video camera 158 of the machine vision camera detection system 150 of FIG. 10 and capable of detecting and identifying the brand of the recyclable product 100 based on its detected shape using artificial intelligence capabilities. Within the second detection zone 148, the artificial intelligence can enable the camera 158 (hardware-wise identical to the optical spectrum marker detector 154) operating under white light, diffuse white light or ambient light conditions to analyze the packaging or bottle 100 for remnants of packaging and bottle labels, logos or branding including features or geometric shapes and match them to an image trained database. This portion of the detection system 160 can also check for manufacturer 20 or brand assigned shapes, alphas, numeric or alphanumeric markers 102 in the visible spectrum.

[0143] In a first trial, images were taken to ensure that the system 160 could determine the brand of the bottle 100 based on its appearance. For this trial, 15 different brands of bottles 100 were tested. After acquiring a set of images, the system 160 was trained on these samples to identify the different brands. Once the system was trained, images not used for training were used to test the results. A final set of images was taken with more damage to the various labels. These images were then used to test the system 160 on unseen images.

[0144] The results of the tests on unseen products 100 yielded completely accurate results, with the system 160 being able to accurately recognize the brands, logos, and general features and shapes of the associated manufacturer 20 packaging 100, even when distorted or damaged. Figures 14a-14d show various images taken of unseen products, with the identified brand and confidence level indicated in the bottom left of each image. The hatching is the result of the background being removed from the image. Those skilled in the art will note that even highly damaged products 100 are accurately classified with a high degree of certainty.

[0145] Those skilled in the art will appreciate the significant advantages provided by the three-stage detection unit 140 described above. The UV camera 152 continuously reads the UV data matrix 90 on the conveyed recyclable product 100. If data from the data matrix 90 cannot be retrieved due to damage, the detection unit 140 attempts to identify the product 100 by the brand-assigned UV ink shape or color applied by the manufacturer 20 or filler using artificial intelligence capabilities and the UV spectrum marker camera 154. The AI-enabled video camera 158 effectively acts as a fail-safe and can effectively identify the shape of the crushed and conveyed recyclable product 100 by identifying from a previously trained database of label remnants or images of the crushed product. Such a detection method and system ensures that all products 100 are detected and this information is constantly transmitted to a cloud-based portal where the manufacturer 20 can access this information.

[0146] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that current AI-enabled camera systems 154, 158 cannot decode 2D or Data Matrix 90 information, and that an AI-enabled video camera 158 cannot, by itself, identify, for example, the clear or colored PET "contract bottles" used to contain many branded and supermarket proprietary beverages and bottled water only from their crushed form unless a shape or color spectral marker taggant 102 is applied to the exterior surface of the recyclable product 100. However, by marking the recyclable product 100 with UV / NIR / IR ink shape or color taggants 50, 70, 80, 82, 84, 102, it is possible to separate the product 100 by reference to its manufacturer 20 or brand when recycled, via detection of the ink, and more information can be stored if the trace marker or taggant 102 is applied as a printed code such as a 2D Data Matrix 90. As described herein, the ink taggant 102 can combine both UV / IR / NIR properties, resulting in the ability to read separate information from the same printed code 88 or data matrix 90, with the different cameras 152, 154 ensuring that this information is read correctly, and the AI-enabled camera system 158 acting as a fail-safe to verify the information obtained from the cameras 152, 154.

[0147] The optical detection unit 140 of the present invention therefore reliably enables acquisition of data that can be reported to brand owners in real-time or near real-time.

[0148] The manufacturer 20 or filler can then retrieve the bottles 100 from the waste stream by the assigned UV shape and color taggants 102, which can be accomplished by existing detection systems with retrofit lighting or by a robotic picker operating under UV light conditions.

[0149] The manufacturer20 or brand would then transport the “segregated” bales of single or mixed material to an associated reprocessing facility for manufacture into new materials, enabling the brand owner to enter the circular economy.

[0150] The detection unit 140 unit, in a preferred embodiment, includes two detection zones 146, 148 in one self-contained unitized enclosure. This is not intended to be limiting as one or more additional detection zones 146, 148 can be added modularly, or the first and second detection zones 146, 148 can be in entirely different enclosures and linked together using existing interfaces and communication protocols. For example, one unit 140 solely reads the UV orange / red data matrix 90, while another entirely separate unit 140 reads or collects the color and shape of the spectral marker tags 102 along the same conveyor 144.

[0151] As discussed above in connection with FIG. 13, the optical detection unit 140 of FIG. 10 can use artificial intelligence capabilities to detect and identify the manufacturer of the recyclable product based on the detected shape or color of the spectral marker taggant 102 applied to the exterior surface of the recyclable product 100, while it is also possible to use artificial intelligence to detect the shape and color of the alpha, numeric or alphanumeric code 88 itself applied to the exterior surface of the product 100.

[0152] Figure 15 illustrates a series of alpha, numeric and / or alphanumeric taggants 102 applied to the exterior surface of a recyclable product 100 that have been detected and classified by the detection unit 140 shown in Figure 10. Figure 15 illustrates a series of example data images captured by the UV optical detector 154 of the machine vision camera detection system 150 of Figure 10, which has been trained to detect and identify the manufacturer or brand of the recyclable product 100 based on the detected alpha, numeric and / or alphanumeric taggants 102 applied to the exterior surface of the recyclable product 100.

[0153] Figures 15a through 15d are various data images obtained from a previously unseen marked product 100 with the identified code and degree of certainty shown in the lower left portion of each image. In the images shown in Figures 15a through 15d, the UV light detector 154 correctly read and classified the UV red ink alpha, numeric or alphanumeric code 88.

[0154] 16 shows how marking a product 100 with a taggant 102 configured as a combined UV Data Matrix 90 and UV alphanumeric code 88 allows accurate and repeatable determination of the detection of the manufacturer or brand of the product 100 and also allows for the acquisition of data for recycling. Such an alphanumeric coding system can be configured along the lines of a first manufacturing partner 100 assigned the letter U, whose brand is marked with the following alphanumeric code 88:

[0155] Brand A-U1 Brand B-U2 Brand C-U3 etc.

[0156] The second manufacturing partner will be assigned the letter W and its brand will be marked with the alphanumeric code 88 as follows:

[0157] Brand A-W1 Brand B-W2 Brand C-W3 etc.

[0158] The present invention is not intended to be limited to the details of the embodiments described herein, which are described by way of example only. The inventors contemplate that various substitutions, changes and modifications may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims. It will be understood that the features described in relation to any particular embodiment may be characterized in combination with other embodiments. These examples include:

[0159] As an example, certain embodiments refer to utilizing the closed-loop remanufacturing method 10 with polymeric products, however, this is in no way limiting as any number of different types of reusable products, packaging, materials, and items can be tagged and recycled.

[0160] It is also contemplated that the present invention, and in particular the means of providing recoverable traceable packaging materials and products 100 through the supply chain, may be recognized or detected and summarized in a dataset instead of being segregated for recycling. This dataset may be very useful to manufacturers, in addition to segregating products 100 for subsequent recycling, as this dataset may reveal patterns, trends and associations, particularly regarding the use, recycling behavior, shelf life and life cycle of the product 100 from its manufacture to consumption and disposal.

[0161] All data written to and read from the 1D, 2D or 3D data matrix 90, barcode or QR code and / or suitable alpha, numeric or alphanumeric coding process 88, or marker shape or color taggants 50, 70, 80, 82, 84, 102 is encrypted and authenticated to prevent spoofing and fraud. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various technologies may be used to enable secure tracking of a product's lifecycle 100, including blockchain technology.

[0162] Data collected at any point in the lifecycle of the product 100 can be transferred to a corporate network or cloud-based system to provide the manufacturer 20 with large data sets that can be processed using a variety of processing techniques to extract and transform information for further commercial use and planning during the production, transportation, distribution, utilization and recycling of the product 100. All communications between the manufacturer 20, the MRF / PRF 26 or secondary processing facility 30, or strategic partners in the supply chain, and through the cloud-based portal are encrypted and authenticated.

[0163] It is also envisioned that the information of the product 100 may reside on a remote computing device and / or mobile communication device and may be accessed via embodied remote application software or user interfaces securely connected to the portal. All available means must be provided to protect the data against fraud and hacking, as known to those skilled in the art.

[0164] The detection methods and systems described herein are not limited to separation at the MRF / PRF 26 or at a secondary processing facility 30 for onward recycling. The invention may also be implemented in recycling stations, or reverse vending systems and schemes. Data that may be represented in the printed code 88 may be read and shared to certify compliance with national and international reverse vending laws, including, for example, deposit return systems, municipal collection bins, recycling points, and schemes. Additionally, while embodiments of the invention are described by illuminating with invisible light and then detecting one or more trace markers 102 and / or printed codes 88 on the product 100, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the detection methods and systems described herein may be accomplished by visible marking on the bottle / package 100. The branding themes and aesthetic elements that the manufacturer 20 uses in the course of trade to sell its product 100 may of course be modified or diluted to include various visible color inks and shapes for subsequent brand / manufacturer recycling and / or printed Data Matrix codes, but such visible markings do not depart from the scope of the invention.

[0165] In this regard, it is understood that the machine vision (optical) camera detection system 150 located in the first detection zone 146 can be modified to operate in the visible light spectrum instead of operating under UV conditions. In this regard, the visible ink data matrix 90 and the visible ink shapes or colors 50, 70, 80, 82, 84, 102 can be applied during the filling stage or simultaneously at the manufacturer 20 (S126). The visible ink data matrix 90 and / or the shape or color taggants 50, 70, 80, 82, 84, 102 are applied to the exterior surface of the product 100 or are applied under a sleeve or label that can be intentionally separated from the product 100 during recycling or during packaging and / or shipping. In the current situation, the manufacturer 20 may instead wish to promote its green credentials by having a visible recycling mark on the product 100.

[0166] Many different colors for the printed code 88 or data matrix 90 and / or marker shapes or taggants 50, 70, 80, 82, 84, 102 are envisioned (FIGS. 2 and 4-6 include exemplary examples). By marking the product 100 with only one ink color, in combination with, for example, a red or orange UV data matrix 90, and / or a red or orange UV alpha, numeric or alphanumeric code 88, detection of the manufacturer or brand of the product 100 can be accurately and repeatably determined while allowing for the retrieval of additional data for recycling purposes.

[0167] It is also contemplated that the markings, shapes or patterns formed by the primary and secondary dots 50, 70, 80, 82, 84, 102, registration marks 86 and / or printed code 88 may be applied to contour the bottle / package 100, if desired. The term "contouring" may refer to any mechanical features or facets placed on the product 100 that are included to enhance the use or style of the product, such as finger indentations or detents. Additionally, the package / bottle 100 may be marked prior to application of its brand label such that if the product label falls off during the recycling process, the primary and secondary dots 50, 70, 80, 82, 84, 102, registration marks 86 and / or printed code 88 will be exposed on the underside for data reading and collection for recycling.

[0168] It is further envisioned that the printed code 88 may be configured in the form of a printed electronic circuit package, or embedded, or applied as a smart label using electromagnetic induction to allow the code 88 to be written and read on the recyclable product 100.

[0169] The following clauses define preferred embodiments of the present invention.

[0170] 1. A method for marking a product, comprising: applying a machine-readable code to at least a portion of a product or its packaging, said machine-readable code fluorescing under excitation conditions to allow detection and recovery of encoded data, and the fluorescent shape or color of said machine-readable code allows detection of the manufacturer or brand of said product; The method includes:

[0171] 2. Separating the product from the mixed feedstock for subsequent recycling based on the detected fluorescent shape or color of the machine readable code; 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

[0172] 3. The machine-readable code is a 1D, 2D or 3D barcode, a Data Matrix or QR code, or any other suitable coding structure; The method described in clause 1.

[0173] 4. The machine-readable code is excited with radiation having an excitation wavelength in the UV, IR, NIR or visible light spectrum. The method described in clause 3.

[0174] 5. Detection of the encoded data and fluorescing shape or color is detected at the same or different excitation wavelengths in the same or different photodetectors; The method described in clause 4.

[0175] 6. The recovered data includes production data and / or PRN and / or PERN and / or EPR compliance information; The method described in clause 1.

[0176] 7. A method for uniquely identifying a product for subsequent recycling, comprising: marking a surface of the product with a first trace signature representative of a manufacturer of said product; The method includes:

[0177] 8. The first trace signature is any chemical or physical marker that can be read by a detector; The method described in clause 7.

[0178] 9. The first trace signature is at least one ultraviolet (UV), NIR and / or infrared (IR) readable dot applied to the product using continuous inkjet printing or any other suitable marking or coding system; A method as described in clause 7 or clause 8.

[0179] 10. The at least one readable dot is a transparent fluorescent mark and is detectable only when illuminated with UV, NIR and / or IR light by the detector; The method described in clause 9.

[0180] 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one readable dot is printed in pairs on substantially opposing surfaces of the product.

[0181] 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one readable dot is printed randomly around the periphery of the surface of the product.

[0182] 13. Fluorescent marks are applied as luminescent or fluorescent inks; The method described in clause 10.

[0183] 14. The fluorescent mark is applied having a base layer in contact with the product, a fluorescent layer on top of the base layer, and a top protective layer on top of the fluorescent layer. The method described in clause 13.

[0184] 15. The base layer, the fluorescent layer, and the top protective layer are applied via a continuous in-line inkjet printing process or any other suitable marking or coding system; The method described in clause 13.

[0185] 16. The base layer is opaque, eliminating false positives when used with a substantially transparent product. 16. A method as described in clause 14 or clause 15.

[0186] 17. The fluorescent mark is completely removed during the subsequent recycling process; 17. The method according to any one of clauses 13 to 16.

[0187] 18. The fluorescent mark does not obscure the branding and / or product information associated with the product; 18. The method according to any one of clauses 13 to 17.

[0188] 19. The first trace signature is a dot printed in one of a number of shapes and colors detectable by the detector; The method described in clause 8.

[0189] 20. The dots are printed to have the shape of a triangle, a square, a rectangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, an octagon, a cylinder or any suitable polygon, or vertical or horizontal lines or bands; The method described in clause 19.

[0190] 21. The first trace signature is detectable by its external shape and / or visible color and / or alphanumeric identifier. The method described in clause 8.

[0191] 22. The first trace signature is applied to the product, and / or a lid or closer of the product, and / or a removable tear strip disposed between the product and the lid or closer. 22. The method according to any one of clauses 7 to 21.

[0192] 23. The first trace signature is applied to a printed label that is adhered to the product. 23. The method according to any one of clauses 7 to 22.

[0193] 24. The label is the name of the manufacturer and / or a RAL or Pantone code representing the manufacturer of the product; The method described in clause 23.

[0194] 25. The first trace signature is applied to the component of the product in pellet, liquid or powder form as a masterbatch or polymer carrier and delivered by gravimetric or other compatible dosing process; The method described in clause 1.

[0195] 26. A first trace signature is applied to the exterior surface of the product; The method described in clause 25.

[0196] 27. The product is a package; 27. The method according to any one of clauses 7 to 26.

[0197] 28. The packaging is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of polymers, cardboard, paper, cellophane, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, composite alloys, and the like. The method described in clause 27.

[0198] 29. Applying a second trace signature to a surface of the product, the second trace signature being indicative of the brand or composition of the product; 29. The method according to any one of clauses 7 to 28, further comprising:

[0199] 30. The first trace signature and the second trace signature are detected separately. The method described in clause 29.

[0200] 31. Marking the surface of the product with a number of trace signatures representative of the origin and / or base polymer manufacturer and / or polymer material and / or material grade and / or product brand, allowing subsequent separation of the products based on the detected attributes of the products; 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

[0201] 32. The plurality of trace signatures are printed as a string of readable dots, or as a 1D, 2D, or 3D data matrix, bar code, or QR code, or any other suitable industrial alpha, numeric, or alphanumeric coding process. The method described in clause 31.

[0202] 33. The string of readable dots is printed with registration marks. The method described in clause 32.

[0203] 34. The detector detects the presence of illuminated UV and / or IR light and / or near infrared and / or visible light and / or shape or pattern recognition; The method described in clause 8.

[0204] 35. A recyclable product that includes on its exterior surface a mark that is a first trace signature representing the manufacturer of the product.

[0205] 36. A method for detecting a uniquely marked product for subsequent recycling, comprising: reading an exterior surface of the product with a detector; detecting a first trace signature indicative of a manufacturer of the product; The method includes:

[0206] 37. A method for closed-loop recycling of a target product marked with a first trace signature representative of the product's manufacturer, comprising: detecting a first trace signature on an exterior surface of a product and separating the detected target product from the mixed ingredients based on the detection; Optionally separating the target products further into subgroups based on brand or composition; shredding the separated product into flakes; washing the flakes; blending the washed flakes; forming a new product from the synthesized pellets; The method includes:

[0207] 38. A label for affixing to a recyclable product, comprising: A label having a first trace signature printed on an exterior surface thereof, the first trace signature representing the manufacturer of the product.

[0208] 39. A method for uniquely identifying a target recyclable product in a continuous feedstock of mixed recyclable products, comprising: Capturing a digital image of a recyclable product; creating a trained database of the digital images of the recyclable products; recognizing the recyclable products in the digital image; matching the recognized image of the target recyclable product with information in a product database; The method includes:

[0209] 40. Separating the target recyclable products and raw materials for subsequent recycling; 40. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

[0210] 41. The step of separating the target recyclable products from the raw materials for subsequent recycling is accomplished at a conveyor detection speed of about 1 meter / second or more and about 3 meters / second or less. The method described in clause 40.

[0211] 42. The target recyclable products are separated from the raw materials based on the manufacturer or brand of the product. 4. A method as described in clause 40 or clause 41.

[0212] 43. The training and recognition steps are accomplished using a neural network. 43. The method according to any one of clauses 39 to 42.

[0213] 44. A computer program product for uniquely identifying a target recyclable product in a continuous feedstock of mixed recyclable products, comprising: means for a computer program to capture digital images of recyclable products; computer program means for creating a trained database of said digital images of said recyclable products; computer program means for recognizing said recyclable products in said digital images; computer program means for matching said recognized images of target recyclable products with information in a product database; A computer program product comprising:

[0214] 45. A system for uniquely identifying a target recyclable product in a continuous feedstock of mixed recyclable products, comprising: means for capturing a digital image of the recyclable product; means for creating a trained database of said digital images of said recyclable products; means for recognizing said recyclable products in said digital images; means for matching the recognized image of a target recyclable product with information in a product database; A system including:

[0215] 46. ​​Means for separating said target recyclable products and raw materials for subsequent recycling; 46. ​​The system of claim 45, further comprising:

[0216] 47. A recyclable product, a uniquely identifiable machine-readable code disposed on a substrate and / or label applied to said recyclable product, said uniquely identifiable machine-readable code being capable of being stored in a remote database or cloud-based portal; The code contains the brand and / or manufacturer and / or metadata of the product and can be read at any time during the product's lifecycle, enabling the user to place it into a deposit return system or into a relevant receptacle within a curbside recycling scheme or system; Recyclable products.

[0217] 48. Inherent in a recycling scheme or system; Can be read at any stage of the product's lifecycle, A machine-readable code or taggant applied to recyclable products.

[0218] 49. A system for tracking products marked with a machine-readable code, comprising: a product database including metadata and / or tracking information and / or timestamps for said products, configured to associate said products with uniquely identifiable machine-readable codes applied to at least a portion of the products or their packaging; detection means for simultaneously exposing said product to excitation conditions such that said machine readable code fluoresces and can be read using a bar code reader or is visible to the naked eye; the detection means includes a first camera means for capturing a first digital image of the fluorescent shape or color of the machine readable code and matching the captured first image with one of a plurality of digital images of the marked product to enable identification of at least a manufacturer or brand of the product; means for automatically updating said product database with metadata and / or tracking information and / or timestamps of said products at one or more stages of the product's lifecycle; A system comprising:

[0219] 50. The detection means and a second camera means for capturing a second digital image of the shape of the product and matching the captured image with the trained database by matching the label remaining on the product and / or the shape and color of the product, thereby enabling identification of at least the manufacturer or brand of the product. 49. A system as described in clause 49.

[0220] 51. A system capable of reading uniquely marked products at any point in their life cycle that can implement and support deposit return schemes, extended producer responsibility, royalty schemes, or recycling systems or schemes.

[0221] 52. A computer-implemented product deposit return system comprising: marking a product and / or its label with a uniquely identifiable machine readable code, said code including the brand and / or manufacturer and / or metadata and / or deposit value of said product; associating said unique code with said product and transferring said data to a database; reading, by a remote app, the unique machine-readable code attached to the product after the product has been used and consumed in at least one intermediate step by a consumer; and at a return point, reading the uniquely identifiable machine readable code of the product and redeeming the deposit value to the consumer via the remote app.

[0222] 53. A traceability method to enable compliance with product recycling obligations or legislation, comprising: marking a product and / or its label with a uniquely identifiable machine readable code, said code including the brand and / or manufacturer and / or metadata and / or deposit value of said product; associating said unique code with said product and transferring said data to a database; a consumer using the product at at least one intermediate stage, recovering the machine readable code, and communicating the recovered code to the database; outputting an entry in the database that associates the product with a recycling location if the unique code is matched, and alternatively detecting an image of a shape, color, or alphanumeric identifier in the trained database if the code is not matched, allowing a recycling location to at least identify the manufacturer or brand of the product; The method includes:

Claims

1. 1. A method for marking a product with a machine readable code to comply with recycling obligations or regulations, comprising: creating a trained database of digital images of marked products; applying to at least a portion of the product or its packaging a machine readable code that uniquely identifies the product; The machine readable code comprises: a fluorescent coding structure from which predetermined data can be recovered; a fluorescent shape or color that is capable of identifying at least the manufacturer or brand of the product; reading and verifying the machine readable code applied to the product; exposing the article to excitation conditions such that the coding structures of the machine-readable code fluoresce to enable recovery of the data of the machine-readable code; if the data of the machine readable code is not recovered, capturing a first image of the fluorescing shape or color of the machine readable code and matching the captured first image against the trained database to identify at least the manufacturer or brand of the product to facilitate compliance with recycling obligations or regulations; The method includes:

2. correlating the data recovered from the machine readable code with the identified manufacturer or brand of the product; securely storing the correlated data in a remote database or cloud-based portal together with the product metadata and / or tracking information and / or timestamp and / or blockchain; The method of claim 1 further comprising:

3. separating the product from the mixed material for subsequent recycling based on the detected shape or color of the machine readable code; The method of claim 1 further comprising:

4. The coding structure of the machine-readable code is a 1D, 2D or 3D barcode, a Data Matrix or a QR Code. The method of claim 1.

5. the machine-readable code is excited with radiation having an excitation wavelength in the UV, IR, NIR or visible light spectrum; The method of claim 4.

6. The recovery of the machine readable code and / or the fluorescent shape or color is detected at the same or different excitation wavelengths in the same or different photodetectors. The method of claim 5.

7. the recovered data in the machine readable code includes production data and / or Packaging Recovery Note (PRN) and / or Packaging Export Recovery Note (PERN) and / or Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) compliance information, The method of claim 1.

8. capturing a second image of the shape of the product and matching the captured image against the trained database by searching for any labels remaining on the product and / or the shape and color of the product to identify at least the manufacturer or brand of the product; The second image is captured at a different excitation wavelength than the first image. The method of claim 1.

9. The machine-readable code is a 2D data matrix that fluoresces red or orange under UV excitation. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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