How to manage metal recycling

Abstract

To provide a method for managing the recycling of metal resources that can utilize 100% recycled materials with specific attributes. [Solution] The method includes the steps of acquiring first metal resources provided by a plurality of parties, manufacturing a metal material using the raw materials, receiving by a terminal from a server information regarding a first shipping quota for a recycled product that is treated as being manufactured only from first metal resources having a specific attribute among the first metal resources acquired in the step of acquiring the first metal resources, shipping the metal material as a recycled product to a party associated with the specific attribute, and transmitting information regarding the shipping step to the server by the terminal, and causing the server to update information regarding the first shipping quota stored in the server so as to subtract the amount of the recycled product to be shipped from the first shipping quota.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for managing the recycling of metallic resources. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the movement to recycle metal resources has been accelerating from the perspective of the SDGs. Companies are actively working to obtain metal resources for products not only from minerals, but also from scrap that has already been manufactured and is no longer useful.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for authenticating recycled products that is executed by a computer system. The document also discloses that the method handles information indicating the outflow amount of certified recycled resin products in the mass balance approach. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2022 / 092278 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In order to promote the above-mentioned efforts, the present disclosure aims to provide a means for realizing a new mechanism for promoting the circulation of metal resources. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, in one aspect, the present disclosure provides the following invention.

[0007] (Invention 1) 1. A method for managing the recycling of metal resources, comprising: The method comprises: (A) a first step of acquiring a first metal resource from a plurality of parties, wherein the first metal resource is a used product to be recycled, or a scrap or waste material generated in the process of manufacturing the product; (B) optionally obtaining a second metal resource, wherein the second metal resource is a mineral-derived resource; (C) a third step of producing a metal material using a raw material, the raw material including the first metal resource obtained in the first step, and the raw material may include the second metal resource obtained in the second step; (D) a step of receiving from the server by the terminal information regarding a first shipping quota for recycled products that are treated as being manufactured only from the first metal resource having a specific attribute among the first metal resource acquired in the first step, wherein the first shipping quota depends on the amount that the first metal resource having the specific attribute has contributed to the manufacturing of the metal material in the third step or is expected to contribute thereto; and (E) a fifth step of shipping the metal material as the recycled product to a person associated with the specific attribute; (F) a sixth step of causing the terminal to transmit information regarding the shipment of the fifth step to the server, and to update the information regarding the first shipping slot stored in the server so as to subtract the amount of the recycled products to be shipped from the first shipping slot; A method comprising: (Invention 2) A method according to Invention 1, wherein the specific attribute includes at least that the first metal resource was provided by a specific one of the plurality of parties, and the party associated with the specific attribute is the specific one party. (Invention 3) 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the specific attribute at least includes that the first metal resource is derived from a specific use, and the person related to the specific attribute is a person related to the same use as the specific use. (Invention 4) The method according to any one of Inventions 1 to 3, wherein the specific attribute at least includes that the first metal resource originates from a specific location, and the person associated with the specific attribute is a person associated with the specific location. (Invention 5) A method according to any one of inventions 1 to 4, wherein the specific attribute includes at least that the first metal resource originates from a specific manufacturer, and the person associated with the specific attribute is the specific manufacturer. (Invention 6) A method according to any one of inventions 1 to 5, comprising: a step of receiving from the server by the terminal information regarding a second shipping quota for recycled products that are treated as having been manufactured only from the first metallic resource having the specific attribute, wherein the second shipping quota depends on the amount of the first metallic resource provided by the plurality of parties that has contributed to, or is expected to contribute to, the manufacturing of the metallic material in the third step; The method further comprises: (Invention 7) A method according to any one of Inventions 1 to 6, further comprising a step in which the terminal receives from the server information on the carbon footprint of the recycled product (hereinafter, product carbon footprint information) assigned to the recycled product that is treated as having been manufactured only from the first metal resource having the specific attribute. (Invention 8) The method of invention 7, further comprising a step of the terminal receiving information on the carbon footprint of the first metal resource. (Invention 9) The method of invention 8, further comprising a step of the terminal receiving from the server carbon footprint information of the first metal resource and / or carbon footprint information related to the third step. (Invention 10) A method according to any one of Inventions 1 to 6, further comprising a step of the terminal transmitting to a server information on the carbon footprint of the recycled product (hereinafter, product carbon footprint information) assigned to the recycled product that is treated as having been manufactured only from the first metal resource having the specific attribute. (Invention 11) A method according to any one of Inventions 7 to 10, wherein the product carbon footprint information is calculated as if the product was manufactured only from the first metal resource having the specific attribute, and is calculated using at least carbon footprint information of the first metal resource having the specific attribute. (Invention 12) 12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the metal material is electrolytic copper. (Invention 13) A method for producing said metallic material, which is treated as having been produced only from said first metallic resource, using the method according to any one of Inventions 1 to 12. (Invention 14) A method for producing the recycled product using the method of invention 7 or 10, comprising imparting information of the carbon footprint of the recycled product to the recycled product. Effect of the Invention

[0008] In one aspect, the invention deals with information on a first shipping slot for a recycled product that is treated as being manufactured only from a first metallic resource having a specific attribute. The first shipping slot depends on the amount that the first metallic resource having the specific attribute has contributed to, or is expected to contribute to, the manufacturing of a metallic material in a third step. The first metallic resource is a used item that is to be recycled, or scrap or waste material generated in the manufacturing process of the item.

[0009] Shipping slots can be allocated to those related to primary metal resources with specific attributes, allowing them to use 100% recycled materials with specific attributes. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates a method of the present disclosure in one embodiment. [Diagram 2] Explain the concept of the mass balance approach. [Diagram 3] The concept of the mass balance approach is explained below. The difference with Figure 2 is that Figure 2 shows the actual shipping status to Company A, while Figure 3 shows the conceptual shipping status of the mass balance approach. Here, although the metal materials actually shipped are 25% recycled, some of the products shipped are treated as if they were 100% recycled. [Figure 4] 1 illustrates an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] 1 illustrates a system of the present disclosure in one embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 illustrates a system of the present disclosure in one embodiment and a terminal external to the system. [Figure 7] 1 illustrates a database provided in a system (e.g., a server) of the present disclosure in one embodiment, or in a cloud server external to the system. [Figure 8-1] 1 shows the flow of the first metal resource, the second metal resource, and the metal material in the method of the present disclosure in one embodiment. Although the metal material actually shipped is 25% recycled, it is treated as if it were 100% recycled. [Figure 8-2] 1 shows the flow of a first metal resource, a second metal resource, and a metal material in a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Here, the shipped metal material is treated as a recycled product manufactured only from scrap originating from company B. [Figure 9] 1 shows the flow of the first metal resource, the second metal resource, and the metal material in the method of the present disclosure in one embodiment. Although the metal material actually shipped is 25% recycled, it is treated as if it were 100% recycled. [Figure 10]1 shows the flow of a first metal resource, a second metal resource, and a metal material in a method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Here, the shipped metal material is treated as a recycled product manufactured only from scrap originating from electronic components. [Figure 11] 1 shows the flow of the first metal resource, the second metal resource, and the metal material in the method of the present disclosure in one embodiment. Here, the shipped metal material is treated as a recycled product manufactured only from scrap originating from electronic components. Correspondingly, the amount of carbon footprint corresponding to the scrap originating from electronic components is assigned to the shipped metal material. [Figure 12] 1 shows the flow of a first metal resource, a second metal resource, and a metal material in a method of the present disclosure in one embodiment, where the shipped metal material is treated as a shipment of recycled products made only from scrap originating from a specific country, and a carbon footprint amount corresponding to the scrap originating from the specific country is assigned to the shipped metal material. [Figure 13] 1 shows the flow of a first metal resource, a second metal resource, and a metal material in the method of the present disclosure in one embodiment. Here, the shipped metal material is treated as a recycled product manufactured only from scrap originating from a specific manufacturer. Correspondingly, the amount of carbon footprint corresponding to the scrap originating from the manufacturer is assigned to the shipped metal material. [Figure 14] 1 shows the flow of a first metal resource and a metal material in the method of the present disclosure in one embodiment. Here, the shipped metal material is treated as a shipment of recycled products made only from scrap from a specific manufacturer. Correspondingly, the amount of carbon footprint corresponding to the scrap from that manufacturer is assigned to the shipped metal material. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, specific embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described. The following description is intended to facilitate understanding of the invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0012] 1. Overview 1-1. Method overview In one embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a method for managing the recycling of metallic resources, said method comprising the following steps (see FIG. 1): (A) a step of acquiring a first metal resource from a plurality of parties, in which the first metal resource is a used product to be recycled, or a scrap or waste material generated in the process of manufacturing the product; (B) optionally obtaining a second metal resource, wherein the second metal resource is a mineral-derived resource; (C) A third step of producing a metal material using a raw material, the raw material including a first metal resource obtained in the first step, and the raw material may include a second metal resource obtained in the second step. (D) a step of receiving from the server, by the terminal, information regarding a first shipping quota for recycled products that are treated as being manufactured only from the first metal resource having a specific attribute among the first metal resources acquired in the first step, wherein the first shipping quota depends on the amount that the first metal resource having the specific attribute has contributed to the manufacturing of the metal material in the third step or is expected to contribute thereto; (E) A fifth step of shipping the metal materials as recycled products to a person associated with a specific attribute. (F) a sixth step in which the terminal transmits information about the shipment in the fifth step to the server, and the server updates the information about the first shipping slot stored in the server so as to subtract the amount of the recyclable products to be shipped from the first shipping slot. In the above method, the second step is carried out in some cases. Therefore, in the above method, the second step may be omitted. Furthermore, when the second step is carried out, the raw material used in the third step may contain the second metal resource obtained in the second step. On the other hand, when the second step is not carried out, the raw material used in the third step does not contain the second metal resource obtained in the second step. In another embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a method of producing a metallic material using the above method, the metallic material being treated as having been produced solely from the first metallic resource.

[0013] Without being limited thereto, the specific attribute may include any one or more of the following: a source of the first metal resource, a use associated with the first metal resource, and a location associated with the first metal resource, an originating manufacturer associated with the first metal resource, etc. Correspondingly, a person associated with the specific attribute that is a shipping destination may be, for example: (Example 1) When the specific attribute is the provider of the first metal resource (i.e., when the first metal resource is provided by one specific party among multiple parties): one specific party among multiple providers of the first metal resource (see "3. Step of acquiring the first metal resource by receiving it from multiple parties (first step)" to "10. Other steps, etc." below). (Example 2) When a specific attribute is a use related to the first metal resource (i.e., when the first metal resource originates from a specific use): a person related to the same use as the said use (for example, a person who intends to acquire metal materials for use in the said use) (see "11-1. Management by Use" below, etc.) (Example 3) When a specific attribute is a location related to the first metal resource (i.e., when the first metal resource originates from a specific location): a person related to the location (e.g., a person who intends to acquire metal materials for manufacturing, use, and / or sale at the location) (see "11-2. Management by location" below, etc.) (Example 4) When the specific attribute is the manufacturer of the goods related to the first metal resource (i.e., when the first metal resource originates from a specific manufacturer): the specific manufacturer (see "11-3. Management of goods by manufacturer" below, etc.)

[0014] In the case of Example 1, a shipping slot can be allocated to a provider of primary metal resources, allowing the provider to use 100% recycled materials.

[0015] In the case of Example 2, a shipping slot can be allocated to a party related to a first metal resource derived from a specific use, which allows the use of 100% recycled material related to the same specific use. This is advantageous from the perspective of realizing horizontal recycling.

[0016] In the case of Example 3, a shipping slot can be allocated to a party related to the first metal resource originating from a specific location. This allows the use of 100% recycled materials related to the same specific location. This is advantageous from the perspective of realizing resource circulation in the specific location.

[0017] In the case of Example 4, a shipping slot can be allocated to a party related to a first metal resource originating from a specific product manufacturer, allowing access to 100% recycled material related to the same specific manufacturer, which is advantageous from the perspective of closed recycling.

[0018] 1-2. Mass balance approach In a further embodiment, the shipping quota in the above method may be based on a mass balance approach, which is a method for allocating a certain characteristic to a part of a product according to the input amount of the raw material having the characteristic when the raw material having the characteristic is mixed with the raw material having the other characteristic in the processing and distribution process from the raw material to the product.

[0019] The mass balance approach will be explained using Figs. 2 and 3 as specific examples. The example in Fig. 2 shows a case where Cu is recycled as a metal resource. Companies A to C provide recycled materials such as scrap products containing Cu to the smelter. In addition, Cu derived from minerals (Cu as virgin material) is also provided to the smelter. These are mixed together to create new Cu materials (e.g., Cu bullion). In the example in Fig. 2, the amount of Cu provided by companies A to C is 250t, and the amount of Cu provided from Cu concentrate is 750t. Therefore, the recycling rate is calculated as 250t / (250t+750t)=0.25. Therefore, the recycling rate of Cu materials produced at the smelter is 25%.

[0020] In Figure 2, four copper ingots were shipped to Company A. Each copper ingot is not itself a 100% recycled product (metal material manufactured only from recycled raw materials). However, under the mass balance approach, as shown in Figure 3, some of the copper ingots are considered to be 100% recycled products, and these 100% recycled products can be treated as having been shipped to Company A. In what follows, metal materials considered to be 100% recycled products under the mass balance approach, or metal materials manufactured only from recycled raw materials, may be referred to as recycled products.

[0021] Adopting a mass balance approach in this way has advantages such as being able to offer products that are derived from 100% renewable and certified sources, regardless of their actual content.

[0022] In the examples of Figures 2 and 3, the case where the characteristic of a raw material being a recycled raw material is assigned to a part of a product has been described. However, in the mass balance approach, not only can the characteristics of the raw material (e.g., the physical or chemical properties of the raw material itself, e.g., the recycling rate) be assigned, but also the attributes of the raw material can be assigned. For example, other attributes such as the above-mentioned "provider of the first metal resource", "use related to the first metal resource", "location related to the first metal resource", and "manufacturer of the goods related to the first metal resource" can also be assigned to a part of a product in the mass balance approach. In the following, first, an example of a case where the "provider of the first metal resource" is assigned to a part of a product as a specific attribute of the raw material will be described. Next, a case where each of the "use related to the first metal resource", "location related to the first metal resource", and "manufacturer of the goods related to the first metal resource" is assigned to a part of a product as a specific attribute of the raw material will be described in "11-1. Management by use", "11-2. Management by location", and "11-3. Management by manufacturer from which the first metal resource originates".

[0023] 1-3. Metal resources In one embodiment, the type of metal contained in the metal resource used in the method of the present disclosure is not particularly limited. In one embodiment, the metal may be any one or more of Fe, Al, Cu, Ag, Au, and Pt. Preferably, the metal is Cu.

[0024] 1-4.Carbon footprint The term "Carbon Footprint" (CFP) used in this specification is defined in the "Carbon Footprint Guidelines" published by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of the Environment in May 2023 as "an abbreviation for Carbon Footprint of Product. A system in which the GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions emitted throughout the entire life cycle of a product or service, from raw material procurement to disposal and recycling, are converted into CO2 emissions and the numerical value or equivalent is displayed on the product."

[0025] In this disclosure, carbon footprint (CFP) is defined as "the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions emitted during the life cycle stages of a product from raw material procurement to production (cradle-to-gate) converted into CO2 emissions and expressed as a numerical value per unit weight of the product." Note that, if necessary, the part "numerical value per unit weight of the product" may be replaced with "numerical value per unit number of the product."

[0026] Also, if necessary, the phrase "value per unit weight of product" may be replaced with "value per unit weight of input material." For example, such a substitution may be made when managing the amount of carbon footprint associated with a particular treatment or process. Here, the input material may be the entire material, or the amount of a substance of interest contained in the material. For example, if 1 ton of scrap contains 200 kg of Cu, the amount of carbon footprint per unit weight of scrap may be managed, or the amount of carbon footprint per unit weight of Cu contained in the scrap may be managed.

[0027] In addition, the calculation of the carbon footprint amount described below is merely an example, and is simplified for the purpose of facilitating understanding. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the specific method of calculating the carbon footprint amount described below.

[0028] 2. Execution environment In one embodiment, the method of the present disclosure can be implemented by a computer program (computer software). In another embodiment, the present disclosure relates to the program, a medium having the program stored thereon, an apparatus including the program, and a method using the program.

[0029] The environment for executing the program and the method is not particularly limited, and a typical information processing device (also called a computing device) can be used. The information processing device (100) can typically include a processor (110), a memory (120), a non-transitory storage medium (130), and a communication module (140), as shown in FIG.

[0030] Examples of the information processing device (100) include, but are not limited to, the following: a server, a personal computer, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a smart watch, smart glasses, etc.

[0031] The program is stored in a non-transitory storage medium (130, e.g., HDD, SSD, etc.), loaded into a memory (120, e.g., RAM, etc.) as appropriate, and executed by a processor (110, e.g., CPU, etc.). If necessary, the program can connect to a network through a communication module (140) to transmit and receive information.

[0032] In one embodiment, the program may be installed as application software in one information processing device (100) and may be executed by the information processing device (100).

[0033] In another embodiment, the number of information processing devices 100 is not limited to one, and multiple information processing devices 100 may be used as necessary. In this case, the functions of the program may be distributed to the multiple information processing devices 100.

[0034] Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5, a system (200) may be configured in which a server (210) and a terminal (220) are connected to each other via a network (e.g., the Internet, a LAN, a VPN, etc.). In the system (200), the terminal (220) may receive input from a user and transmit at least a portion of the received input to the server (210). The server (210) may receive input information transmitted from the terminal (220), process the information, and transmit a portion of the output to the terminal (220). The terminal (220) may then receive output information transmitted from the server (210) and display it on the terminal (220).

[0035] Therefore, in another aspect, the present disclosure also relates to an information processing device including the program of the present disclosure, and a system including the information processing device. In yet another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a terminal and / or a server constituting the system of the present disclosure. The internal configuration of the terminal and the server may be the same as that of the information processing device shown in FIG. 4. In yet another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory storage medium, e.g., a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium, e.g., an HDD, an SSD, a flash memory, an optical disk, etc.) that stores a program.

[0036] The above-mentioned system 200 may be connected to a terminal (300) of a first metal resource provider through a network (e.g., the Internet) as shown in Fig. 6. The first metal resource provider corresponds to companies A to C in Figs. 2 and 3.

[0037] This allows the first metal resource provider to transmit information on the item to be recycled to the server (210) or terminal (220) in the system (200).

[0038] Hereinafter, the above-mentioned first to sixth steps (for example, steps performed by the terminal 220 or the smelter) and other steps (for example, steps performed by the server 210, the terminal 220, and / or the smelter) will be described in detail.

[0039] 3. A process of acquiring first metal resources from a plurality of parties (first process) As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a smelter is a facility that produces metallic materials. In the smelter, raw materials for producing metallic materials are obtained. One type of the raw materials includes a first metallic resource. The first metallic resource satisfies one of the following two conditions: (Condition 1) The item is used and eligible for recycling, or (Condition 2) Scrap or waste materials generated during the manufacturing process of goods

[0040] Examples of items that meet the condition 1 include, but are not limited to, the following: electronic components, electronic circuit boards, discarded electric wires, household items, copper piping, decorative items, etc. Examples of scraps or waste materials that meet the condition 2 include, but are not limited to, the following: defective parts of ingots, scraps generated by cutting, press scraps, cuttings, and scraps and sludge generated by grinding, etc.

[0041] In addition, the first metal resource may be pre-treated by a supplier (including not only a party that directly or indirectly provided the first metal resource to the smelter, but also a party that directly or indirectly provided the first metal resource to the supplier) before being provided to the smelter. In other words, in determining whether the above-mentioned conditions of the first metal resource are satisfied, it does not matter whether pre-treatment was performed before being provided to the smelter. As this pre-treatment, for example, crushing or pulverization may be appropriately performed to make the size suitable for metal smelting. As the pre-treatment, for example, a process for removing at least a part of the substances other than the target for recovery may be performed.

[0042] In one example, the first metal resource is shipped and sent to the smelter from a manufacturer, a recycler, a scrap collector, etc. Alternatively, the first metal resource may be provided by an individual.

[0043] The provider of the first metal resource is not limited to one entity, but may be a plurality of entities. In addition, the provider of the first metal resource may provide the first metal resource directly to the smelter, or may provide the first metal resource indirectly to the smelter via a third party.

[0044] 4. The process of acquiring secondary metal resources (second process) The smelter may obtain not only the first metal resource but also a second metal resource. Thus, in some embodiments, the metal material may be produced only from the first metal resource without obtaining the second metal resource. The second metal resource is a resource derived from a mineral. For example, the second metal resource may be the ore itself, may be a concentrate, or may be a metal material with low purity (e.g., blister copper in the case of copper), etc.

[0045] In addition, second metal resources are distinguished from first metal resources in that they have never been commercialized and are so-called virgin materials.

[0046] 5. Manufacturing metal materials (third process) A metallic material is produced at a smelter using the above-mentioned first metallic resource. The smelter produces a metallic material by mixing the first metallic resources provided by a plurality of parties. The smelter may perform appropriate pre-treatment on the first metallic resource. For example, the first metallic resource may be crushed appropriately to a size suitable for metal smelting. For example, the first metallic resource may be subjected to a treatment for removing substances other than those to be recovered. When the smelter performs pre-treatment, the pre-treatment is also included in the third step. The above-mentioned treatments and the like related to the step of producing a metallic material may be performed by combining the first metallic resource and the second metallic resource.

[0047] The type of the metallic material is not particularly limited. For example, the metallic material may be one or more of the following: metal, ingot, wire, foil, plate, powder, etc. The metal material may also be, for example, electrolytic copper.

[0048] The type of smelting method is not particularly limited. For example, the smelting method may be a dry smelting method or a wet smelting method (for example, solvent extraction, precipitation separation, leaching, etc.).

[0049] 6. Data processing associated with the acquisition of the first metal resource The smelter may perform some data processing in association with the acquisition of the first metal resource. For example, a provider of the first metal resource may transmit information about the first metal resource in association with providing the first metal resource to the smelter.

[0050] The information on the first metallic resource may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following information: information identifying attributes (e.g., information identifying the source), information identifying the type of the first metallic resource (e.g., information on the product before scrapping, dismantling history, etc.), the quantity of the first metallic resource, the metal grade, and the carbon footprint of the first metallic resource (including information on the carbon footprint in the process of obtaining the first metallic resource and / or the process of providing the first metallic resource to a smelter). The information on the carbon footprint of the first metallic resource includes, for example, one or more of the following information: information on the carbon footprint related to pre-processing at the source of the above-mentioned, and the carbon footprint related to transportation.

[0051] The information on the first metal resource is transmitted from a terminal 300 of the provider of the first metal resource to the system 200, as shown in Fig. 6. The destination of the transmission of the information on the first metal resource may be the server 210 shown in Fig. 5, or the terminal 220.

[0052] When transmitting information from terminal 300 to server 210, for example, server 210 may function as a web server, and terminal 300 may transmit information on the first metal resource via a browser. After receiving the information, server 210 may perform operations such as updating the database. Server 210 may further transmit information on the first metal resource, or information obtained by processing the information, to terminal 220.

[0053] When transmitting from terminal 300 to terminal 220, for example, terminal 300 can transmit information on the first metal resource to terminal 220 via a means such as email (for example, attaching a file to an email, or transmitting information indicating the location of a cloud storage accessible to both parties via email). Terminal 220 then accesses server 210 and transmits the information on the first metal resource or information that has been processed from that information. Server 210 can then reflect the information received from terminal 220 in a database or the like.

[0054] The server 210 may have access to several databases. The databases may be provided within the server 210 (e.g., in a storage medium carried by the server 210), or may reside on a cloud server external to the system 200.

[0055] The database may include, for example, at least three types of databases as shown in FIG.

[0056] The first metal resource database can store information on the above-mentioned first metal resource. The first metal resource database may be configured to store information on one or more of the following items, for example: information identifying an attribute (e.g., information identifying a provider), information identifying a type of the first metal resource (e.g., information on a product before scrapping, dismantling history, etc.), the quantity of the first metal resource, the grade of metal, information on the carbon footprint of the first metal resource, delivery lot, etc. The information on the carbon footprint of the first metal resource includes, for example, one or more of the following information: information on the carbon footprint related to pre-processing at the provider, and the carbon footprint related to transportation.

[0057] Information specifying an attribute (e.g., information specifying a source), information specifying a type of the first metallic resource, the quantity of the first metallic resource, the metal grade, and carbon footprint information of the first metallic resource may be stored in the first metallic resource database for each delivery lot, for example. Furthermore, the carbon footprint information of the first metallic resource may be stored in the first metallic resource database in a grouping of units with common carbon footprint information, such as when the information is the same for the same attribute (e.g., the same source) or when the information is the same for the same type of first metallic resource.

[0058] The first metal resource database may be updated based on the information about the first metal resource or the processed information about the first metal resource after the server 210 receives the information about the first metal resource or the processed information about the first metal resource from the terminal 220 or the terminal 300. The information about the first metal resource or the processed information about the first metal resource may be based on the information transmitted from the terminal 300, or may be further based on new information added by analysis at a smelter or other facility. As an example of the latter, after the first metal resource is acquired, the quantity, metal grade, etc. of the first metal resource may be analyzed at a smelter or other facility. Then, the analysis results may be transmitted from the terminal 220 to the server 210 as information about the first metal resource.

[0059] The smelter processing record database can store information on the results of the smelter's production of the metallic material. For example, the smelter processing record database may be configured to store information on one or more of the following items: yield rate of the process (third process) for producing the metallic material, input record of the first metallic resource to the third process for each attribute of the first metallic resource, input record of the entire first metallic resource to the third process regardless of the attribute, input record of the second metallic resource to the third process, fuel or energy required for the processing of the third process, utilization record of auxiliary materials (e.g., cooling material, etc.) required for the processing of the third process, etc. The input record may include, for example, information on one or more of the following information: the amount of the first metallic resource or the second metallic resource input to the third process, the amount of the target metal contained in the first metallic resource or the second metallic resource input to the third process, the amount of the metallic material produced corresponding to the amount of the input first metallic resource or the second metallic resource, and the delivery lot of the input first metallic resource.

[0060] The target product inventory management database can store information related to the metallic materials produced at the smelter. For example, the target product inventory management database may be configured to store information related to one or more of the following items: attributes of the first metallic resource (e.g., source), the carbon footprint of the first metallic resource, the quantity of shipping slots for recycled products, the inventory life span of recycled products, the carbon footprint of recycled products, etc.

[0061] In addition, when a smelter produces metallic materials using a first metallic resource, a portion of the metallic materials produced is treated as having been produced solely from the first metallic resource based on the mass balance approach.

[0062] The shipping quota quantity of recycled products contained in the target product inventory management database includes, as described below, the shipping quota quantity allocated individually to each attribute of the first metal resource (e.g., each source) and the shipping quota quantity for all recycled products.

[0063] The inventory validity period of a recycled product means the period during which a metal material can be shipped as a recycled product. The inventory validity period of a recycled product is set to a certain period (e.g., one year) starting from the time of manufacturing the metal material, for example. In addition, the shipping quota of a recycled product may be stored in the target product inventory management database according to the inventory validity period of the recycled product.

[0064] The carbon footprint information of the recycled product may include both the carbon footprint information of the process (third process) for producing the metal material and the carbon footprint information of the first metal resource. By including both pieces of information, it is possible to manage the carbon footprint from the first metal resource to the production of the metal material.

[0065] The carbon footprint information of the recycled product can be obtained by referring to the first metal resource database and the smelter processing record database. For example, the carbon footprint information of the first metal resource (per unit weight of the metal material) can be calculated by appropriately considering the amount of the first metal resource, the grade of the metal, and the carbon footprint information of the first metal resource contained in the first metal resource database, as well as the yield of the process (third process) for manufacturing the metal material contained in the smelter processing record database. In addition, the carbon footprint information of the third process (per unit weight of the metal material) can be calculated by appropriately considering the input record of the entire first metal resource to the third process, the input record of the second metal resource to the third process, the fuel or energy required for the processing of the third process, and the utilization record of the auxiliary materials (e.g., refrigerant) required for the processing of the third process, all of which are contained in the smelter processing record database. Then, by adding together the two calculated values ​​(i.e., the carbon footprint information of the first metal resource (per unit weight of metal material) and the carbon footprint information of the third process (per unit weight of metal material)), the carbon footprint information of the recycled product (per unit weight of recycled product) can be obtained.

[0066] The carbon footprint information of recycled products may be stored in the target product inventory management database individually for each attribute of the first metallic resource (e.g., source), or, if the carbon footprint information of the first metallic resource differs depending on the type of the first metallic resource even for the same attribute (e.g., same source), the carbon footprint information of the first metallic resource may be stored individually in the target product inventory management database in a common unit. Note that, even when the carbon footprint information of recycled products is stored in a unit other than the attribute, it is preferable to configure the target product inventory management database so that the carbon footprint information of recycled products can be output for each attribute.

[0067] When carbon footprint information of the first metal resource is included in carbon footprint information of a recycled product, the carbon footprint information of the recycled product differs depending on the attribute (e.g., source) and type of the first metal resource, etc. By managing the carbon footprints of these recycled products individually, it is possible to manage the carbon footprint from the first metal resource to the production of a metal material for each source, for example.

[0068] In addition, a part of the target product inventory management database may be made viewable by the provider of the first metal resource or other persons (e.g., persons related to a specific attribute). For example, the provider of the first metal resource or other persons may access the server 210 from the terminal 300 via the network to make it possible to view information related to the provider or other persons (e.g., the shipping quota volume of the provider's recycled products, the inventory validity period of the recycled products, the carbon footprint of the recycled products, etc.).

[0069] 6-1. Update of the No. 1 Metal Resources Database As described above, the information on the first metal resource transmitted from terminal 300 is ultimately transmitted to server 210, regardless of whether it passes through terminal 220 or not. Then, server 210 can update the first metal resource database based on the information on the first metal resource.

[0070] 6-2. Calculation of individual shipping quotas In a specific embodiment, a calculation of a shipping quota for recycled products to be individually allocated for each attribute (e.g., each provider) of the first metallic resource is performed based at least on the updated first metallic resource database. The shipping quota calculation may be performed by the server 210 or may be performed by the terminal 220. When the shipping quota calculation is performed by the terminal 220, the result of the shipping quota calculation may be transmitted from the terminal 220 to the server 210. Regardless of how the shipping quota calculation is performed, the server 210 updates the quantity of the shipping quota for recycled products allocated to a party related to the attribute (e.g., a provider that is the subject of the shipping quota calculation) from the information in the target product inventory management database based on the result of the shipping quota calculation.

[0071] For example, when the attribute included in the first metal resource database is the source, the amount of metal material produced from the first metal resource provided by one specific party is calculated by appropriately considering information identifying the source, information identifying the type of the first metal resource, the quantity of the first metal resource, and the grade of the metal that constitutes the metal material (e.g., the grade of Cu when producing Cu bullion as the metal material). This calculation may further consider the yield included in the smelter processing record database as necessary. Then, the calculated amount of metal material, or an amount at least based thereon, is reflected in the shipping quota for recycled products from the one specific party.

[0072] For example, the example of FIG. 8-1 shows a case where company A supplies 1000t of scrap. In this case, the information is stored in the first metal resource database. Then, based on the information, it is calculated how much metal material is expected to be obtained when 1000t of company A's scrap is input. For example, assuming that Cu bullion is produced as the metal material, the weight of Cu contained in company A's scrap is calculated by multiplying the weight of 1000t of company A's scrap by the grade of Cu in company A's scrap. For example, if the grade of Cu in company A's scrap is 10%, the weight of Cu in company A's scrap is 100t. The weight of Cu in company A's scrap may be used as it is as the expected amount of metal material obtained from company A's scrap. Alternatively, the value obtained by multiplying the weight of Cu in company A's scrap by a correction coefficient may be used as the expected amount of metal material. For example, the yield rate included in the smelter processing record database may be further taken into consideration, and the estimated amount of metal material may be calculated by multiplying the weight of Cu in Company A's scrap by the yield rate. The correction coefficient does not have to be the yield rate itself. The correction coefficient may be a unified value, or may be a different value for each person who sets the shipping quota.

[0073] From the information identifying the attributes contained in the first metal resource database, it is identified that the provider of the scrap is Company A. If the calculated expected amount is 100 tons, the target product inventory management database can be updated to increase the shipping quota for Company A by 100 tons.

[0074] When considering the yield, the yield may be considered to be constant regardless of the type or attribute of the first metallic resource. Alternatively, when the yield varies depending on the type or attribute of the first metallic resource, the yield for each type or attribute of the first metallic resource may be considered by referring to the smelter processing record database based on the information identifying the type of the first metallic resource and / or the information identifying the attribute contained in the first metallic resource database.

[0075] Also, for one entity (Company A in the above example), it is not essential that the calculated expected amount and the shipping quota are completely equal. Taking various circumstances into consideration, the calculated expected amount may be appropriately corrected and the target product inventory management database may be updated as a newly allocated shipping quota. However, preferably, the shipping quota is a value that does not exceed the calculated expected amount. In any case, the shipping quota described here is an amount that depends at least on the expected amount of the first metal resource provided by one specific entity that contributes to the production of metal materials. Also, the shipping quota is a shipping quota for recycled products that are treated as being manufactured only from the first metal resource, allocated to one specific entity (Company A in the example of Figure 8-1) among multiple entities (Companies A, B, and C in the example of Figure 8-1) (shipping quota based on the mass balance approach described above).

[0076] Furthermore, when the first metal resource is provided from a plurality of parties, it is not necessary to allocate shipping slots for individual recycled products to parties (e.g., providers) related to all attributes, but it is sufficient to allocate shipping slots to parties related to at least one specific attribute. For example, in the example of FIG. 8-1, it may be the case that while Company A has a contractual agreement to allocate a shipping slot, Company B and Company C do not have such an agreement. In such a case, although Companies A to C each provide the first metal resource, the individual shipping slots may be updated only for Company A.

[0077] Recycled products from a shipping slot allocated to an entity (e.g., a provider) associated with a particular attribute of a first metal resource will be shipped only to an entity (e.g., a provider (or a person designated by the provider)) associated with the particular attribute of the first metal resource.

[0078] In the example of Figure 8-1, recycled products from the shipping quota allocated to Company A are shipped only to Company A (or a person designated by Company A). In this case, Company A is both the provider of the first metal resource and the customer of the smelter that receives the recycled products. Since the smelter manufactures metal materials by mixing the first metal resource supplied by Company A with the first metal resource and the second metal resource supplied by other parties, the metal materials shipped to Company A are not manufactured only from the first metal resource supplied by Company A. However, Company A's shipping quota is calculated based on the amount of the first metal resource supplied by Company A that contributes to the manufacture of metal materials. Therefore, in terms of the concept of the mass balance approach, Company A can receive a supply of 100% recycled products manufactured only from the first metal resource provided by Company A.

[0079] Company A is free to decide what products it will use the recycled products it receives to manufacture, but if the recycled products are used to manufacture the same products as the products derived from the first metal resources it provided, then conceptually horizontal recycling (a recycling system in which discarded products become resources and are reborn as the same products) can be realized.

[0080] In the above example, the shipping quota can be calculated before the first metal resource is input into the third process. Therefore, the shipping quota is an amount that depends at least on the expected amount of the first metal resource that will contribute to the production of the metal material. However, in another example, the shipping quota may be calculated after the first metal resource is input into the third process, reflecting the actual amount of input into the third process. In this case, the shipping quota is an amount that depends at least on the amount of the first metal resource that has contributed to the production of the metal material. The case where the shipping quota is calculated after the production of the metal material will be described in detail ("7-2. Calculation of individual shipping quotas").

[0081] 6-3. Calculation of total shipping quota In addition, not only the individual shipping quotas (in the example of FIG. 8-1, the shipping quotas for each of companies A, B, and C), but also the overall shipping quota for recycled products (in the example of FIG. 8-1, the combined shipping quota for companies A, B, and C) may be calculated. Similarly to the calculation of the individual shipping quotas described above, the calculation of the overall shipping quota may be performed by the server 210 or the terminal 220. When the calculation is performed by the terminal 220, the calculation result of the shipping quota may be transmitted from the terminal 220 to the server 210. Note that, when a metallic material is manufactured from only the first metallic resource, all of the metallic materials are 100% recycled products, so the calculation of the overall shipping quota may be omitted. When a metallic material is manufactured by combining the first metallic resource and the second metallic resource, and a part of the metallic material is regarded as 100% recycled products in the mass balance approach, the overall shipping quota for recycled products is calculated.

[0082] For example, in the example of FIG. 8-1, Company A supplies 1000t of scrap, Company B supplies 500t of scrap, and Company C supplies 250t of scrap. Then, information such as the supply amount of each company is stored in the first metal resource database. Next, based on this information, it is calculated how much metal material is expected to be obtained when the first metal resource provided by each company is input. For example, assuming that Cu bullion is produced as a metal material, the weight of Cu contained in Company A's scrap is calculated by multiplying the weight of 1000t of Company A's scrap by the grade of Cu in Company A's scrap. Similarly, the weight of Cu contained in Company B's scrap is calculated by multiplying the weight of 500t of Company B's scrap by the grade of Cu in Company B's scrap. Then, in the case of scrap provided by Company C, the same calculation as for Company A and Company B may be performed. However, other methods may be used. For example, if the Cu content of the scrap provided by Company C is extremely high, the Cu content may be assumed to be 100%, and the weight of Company C's scrap, 250 t, may be used.

[0083] Using the above method, an expected amount indicating how much metal material is expected to be obtained from the first metal resource from each company is calculated for each company. Then, the expected amounts calculated for each company are added together. This makes it possible to calculate the total expected amount. Furthermore, it is possible to calculate the total shipping quota based at least on the total expected amount.

[0084] In addition, the total estimated amount may be adjusted using an appropriate correction factor, similar to the calculation of the individual shipping quotas described above. For example, the estimated amount of metallic materials for each company may be calculated by multiplying the weight of Cu in the scrap of each company by the yield rate, taking into further consideration the yield rate included in the smelter processing record database.

[0085] By managing the overall shipping quota, it is possible to control the shipping volume so that the shipping volume of recycled products does not exceed the overall shipping quota. For example, in the example of the individual shipping quota explained above, the shipping quota for Company A is calculated. However, although this shipping quota can manage whether or not there are any shipments that exceed Company A's shipping quota, it cannot manage anything else using Company A's shipping quota alone.

[0086] For example, in the example of Figure 8-1, the weight of Cu in Company A's scrap is assumed to be 100t, the weight of Cu in Company B's scrap is assumed to be 50t, the weight of Cu in Company C's mill ends is assumed to be 250t, and the weight of Cu in Cu concentrate is assumed to be 1200t. In this case, the total expected amount of Cu obtained is expected to be 1600t, of which 400t corresponds to the first metal resource (25% recycled). This is set as the total shipping quota. The shipping quota allocated to Company A is then 100t.

[0087] As a further assumption, let us assume that no individual shipping quotas are set for companies B and C (or for any companies other than companies A through C).

[0088] In this case, first, 100 tons of the total shipping quota of 400 tons is allocated as the shipping quota for Company A, and the remaining 300 tons is a shipping quota for which no specific allocation has been decided. Then, within the remaining 300 tons, recycled products are shipped to companies B and C and companies other than Companies A and C, or shipped to Company A separately from Company A's shipping quota (without changing the amount of material in Company A's shipping quota).

[0089] In this way, by combining and managing the overall shipping quota and individual shipping quotas, it is possible to manage shipping quotas that are not assigned to specific parties, and to ensure that the total amount of recycled product shipments does not exceed the overall shipping quota for recycled products set based on the mass balance approach.

[0090] In the above, an example was described in which the shipping quota for which no particular allocation destination is specified is managed as separate information from the shipping quota for which an allocation destination is specified, but the shipping amount of recycled products may be managed by using the total shipping quota including the shipping quota for which an allocation destination is specified. In this case, for example, when shipped to company A, the shipped amount is subtracted from the individual shipping quota (in this example, the shipping quota for company A), and the same shipped amount is subtracted from the total shipping quota (in this example, the shipping quota based on the total Cu amount of companies A to C). Therefore, the shipping quota for the entire recycled products stored in the target product inventory management database may be the amount obtained by subtracting the individual shipping quota for each party (for example, provider) related to the attribute, or may include the individual shipping quota. Details of the shipping process and the subtraction of the shipping quota will be described later.

[0091] The calculated individual shipping slots and the total shipping slot may be transmitted from the server 210 to the terminal 220.

[0092] 6-4. Database management As described above, various information may be managed by a database included in the server 210 and / or a database accessible to the server 210. Alternatively, management of information on each terminal is also possible, but managing information on the database of the server 210 may bring about the following advantages. Even when a plurality of recipients receive the first metal resource (e.g., recycled raw materials), information on the first metal resource can be managed centrally. Even if metal materials are sold from multiple sales offices, shipping information is managed centrally by the server 210. This makes it easy to manage the shipping volume within the shipping quota for 100% recycled products. Information regarding shipping quotas can be shared with customers who are the providers and destinations of the first metal resources through the server 210. This makes it easier for customers to make procurement plans and scrap collection plans. It is possible to meet the needs of customers who want to conduct closed horizontal recycling. For example, in the example of Figure 8-1, the first metal resource provided by Company A (e.g., recycled raw materials) can be returned as metal material originating from Company A (e.g., 100% recycled products) under the concept of the mass balance approach. - Traceability can be clarified from the first metal resource to the manufacturing of the metal material. This also makes it easier to manage the carbon footprint, which will be described later.

[0093] 7. Update manufacturing data 7-1. Updating manufacturing data After the third step is performed, the production results can be input through the terminal 220. The input information on the production results can be transmitted from the terminal 220 to the server 210. The server 210 may update the smelter processing results database based at least on the received information. The server 210 may update the target product inventory management database based at least on the received information.

[0094] Updates to the smelter processing performance database may include one or more of the following: yield from the current smelting process, individual first metal resource input performance by attribute (e.g., source), overall first metal resource input performance, second metal resource input performance, energy required for processing (including carbon footprint), material utilization performance, etc.

[0095] Updates to the target product inventory management database may include one or more of the following: information identifying the source of the first metal resource, the carbon footprint of the recycled product, the quantity of metal material produced, the inventory period of the produced recycled product, and the carbon footprint associated with the third process.

[0096] The information identifying the supplier of the first metal resource may be updated based on data from the first metal resource database. The carbon footprint associated with the third step may be calculated as a value per unit weight of the metal material by dividing the carbon footprint incurred in the smelting process of the metal material (which may further include the carbon footprint incurred in pre-processing, in some cases) by the weight of the produced metal material.

[0097] The carbon footprint taken in the third step may be the actual value at that time, but preferably, an average value over a certain period of time in the past (for example, the past year) may be used.

[0098] 7-2. Calculation of individual shipping quotas In another embodiment, the shipping slots may be calculated in a manner different from that described in "6-2. Calculation of Individual Shipping Slots."

[0099] In the calculation of the shipping quota described in "6-2. Calculation of individual shipping quotas", the shipping quota is calculated based on the amount of the first metal resource that is expected to contribute to the production of the metal material, based on the first metal resource database. In another embodiment, as described below, after performing the third step, the shipping quota is calculated based on the amount of the first metal resource that has contributed to the production of the metal material.

[0100] An example shown in Fig. 9 will be used for explanation. In any of the above-mentioned databases (e.g., the first metal resource database), the first metal resource database may manage lots of the first metal resource provided. For example, as shown in Fig. 9, even with the same attributes (e.g., provider), the first metal resource may typically be provided multiple times. Thus, when the first metal resource is provided three times from the same company A, lots may be assigned to each of them (X1 to X3).

[0101] When updating the smelter processing record database for production results, information on which lot of the first metallic resource was used in the current production may be stored. For example, in the example of FIG. 9, it may be stored that the first metallic resource of lots X1, X2, X4, and X5 was used.

[0102] Furthermore, in updating the target product inventory management database, it may be stored which lot of the first metal resource the metallic material to be the target product originates from. For example, the metallic material (Cu material) manufactured in FIG. 9 is partially derived from the first metallic resource provided by Company A. Here, Company A provides first metallic resources of lots X1 to X3, among which lots X1 and X2 contribute to the manufacturing of the metallic material. Therefore, information on lots X1 and X2 is obtained from the first metallic resource database (e.g., the quantity of the first metallic resource, the grade of metal, etc.) and the amount contributed by lots X1 and X2 is calculated. As in the case of FIG. 8-1, if the grade of Cu in Company A's scrap is 10%, the amount contributed by lots X1 and X2 is the weight of Cu in Company A's scrap, which is 100t. This weight of Cu in Company A's scrap may be used as the amount of metallic material obtained from Company A's scrap (or the amount contributed by Company A's scrap to the manufacturing of the metallic material). Alternatively, the weight of Cu in Company A's scrap multiplied by a correction coefficient may be used as the amount contributed to the production of the metallic material. For example, the yield included in the smelter processing record database may be further taken into consideration, and the production amount of the metallic material may be calculated by multiplying the weight of Cu in Company A's scrap by the yield rate. The correction coefficient may be, for example, a uniform value, or may be a different value for each company, or may be different for each delivery lot of the first metallic resource, or may be different for each production lot of the metallic material.

[0103] After calculating that the amount contributed to the production of metal materials is 100 tons, the target product inventory management database can be updated, and the shipping quota for Company A can be increased by 100 tons. In addition, in calculating the shipping quota, some of the methods described in "6-2. Calculation of Individual Shipping Quotas" may be applied (for example, it is not essential that the calculated expected amount and the shipping quota are completely equal, and when first metal resources are provided from multiple parties, it is not necessary to allocate shipping quotas for individual recycled products to all parties related to the attribute (for example, all providers)).

[0104] 7-3. Calculation of total shipping quota Furthermore, not only individual shipping slots (in the example of FIG. 9, the shipping slots corresponding to the combined lots X1 and X2 of Company A, lot X4 of Company B, and lot X5 of Company C) but also an overall shipping slot (in the example of FIG. 9, the shipping slots corresponding to the combined lots X1 and X2 of Company A, lot X4 of Company B, and lot X5 of Company C) may be calculated. Similarly to the calculation of the individual shipping slots described above, the calculation of the overall shipping slot may be performed by server 210 or by terminal 220. If it is performed by terminal 220, the calculation result of the shipping slot may be transmitted from terminal 220 to server 210.

[0105] For example, in the example of FIG. 9, Company A supplies 1500t of scrap (lots X1, X2, and X3), Company B supplies 500t of scrap (lot X4), and Company C supplies 250t of scrap (lot X5). Then, information such as the supply amount of each company is stored in the first metal resource database. Next, after the metal material is produced, the smelter processing record database may store which lot of the first metal resource was used in this production. For example, in the example of FIG. 9, it may store that the first metal resource lots X1, X2, X4, and X5 were used. Based on this information, it is calculated how much metal material was obtained when the first metal resource provided by each company was input. For example, assuming that Cu ingots are produced as metal materials, the weight of Cu contained in Company A's scrap (lots X1 and X2) is calculated by multiplying the weight of 1000t of Company A's scrap (lots X1 and X2) by the grade of Cu in Company A's scrap. Similarly, the weight of Cu contained in Company B's scrap (lots X4) is calculated by multiplying the weight of 500t of Company B's scrap by the grade of Cu in Company B's scrap (lot X4). In addition, in the case of scraps provided by Company C, the same calculations as for Company A and Company B may be performed. However, a different method may be used. For example, if the grade of Cu in the scraps provided by Company C is extremely high, the value of 250t, the weight of Company C's scrap, may be used, assuming that the grade of Cu is 100%.

[0106] Using the above method, the amount indicating how much metal material was obtained from the first metal resource from each company (in other words, the contribution amount in the production of metal material) is calculated for each company. The contribution amounts calculated for each company are then summed up. This makes it possible to calculate the overall contribution amount. Furthermore, the overall shipping quota can be calculated based at least on the overall contribution amount.

[0107] In addition, the yield rate included in the smelter processing record database may be further taken into consideration, and the contribution amount of metallic materials from each company may be calculated by multiplying the weight of Cu in each company's scrap by the yield rate.

[0108] The significance of the overall shipping quota is the same as that explained in Figure 8-1 (see "6-3. Calculation of the overall shipping quota").

[0109] The calculated individual shipping slots and the total shipping slot may be transmitted from the server 210 to the terminal 220.

[0110] Regarding the calculation of the shipping quota described in "6-2. Calculation of individual shipping quotas" and "6-3. Calculation of overall shipping quotas" and the calculation of the shipping quota described in "7-2. Calculation of individual shipping quotas" and "7-3. Calculation of overall shipping quotas", only the former may be performed, only the latter may be performed, or both may be performed. If both are performed, the former calculation of the shipping quota may be considered as a provisional shipping quota.

[0111] 8. Acquisition of shipping slot information (4th step and other steps) After the server 210 calculates the individual shipping quotas using the above method, the terminal 220 can receive information about the individual shipping quotas. This allows the terminal 220 to check the individual shipping quotas generated by the current smelting process. Furthermore, the terminal 220 can check information about past individual shipping quotas and / or a shipping quota that is the sum of the past individual shipping quotas and the individual shipping quotas generated by the current smelting process. For example, in the example of FIG. 2, assuming that the yield is 100% and that the entire amount of Cu supplied is reflected in the shipping quota, 100t is related to Company A and is the individual shipping quota generated by the current smelting process.

[0112] Furthermore, the terminal 220 can receive information on the total shipping quota, including the shipping quota for recycled products that are not assigned to individual providers. This allows the terminal 220 to check the total shipping quota. In the example of Fig. 2, assuming a 100% yield and that all of the supplied Cu amount is reflected in the shipping quota, the total of 250t, which is the total amount of Cu supplied by all of companies A to C, is the total shipping quota generated by this smelting process.

[0113] To reiterate, as mentioned above, the shipping quota is not a shipping quota for partially recycled products as shown in Figure 2, but a shipping quota for 100% recycled products (i.e., recycled products that are treated as having been manufactured only from the first metal resource) as shown in Figure 3.

[0114] 9. Shipping process (steps 5 and 6) After producing the metal materials, the smelter can ship the recycled products according to the orders from the customers. When an order is received and / or a shipment is made, the terminal 220 may transmit order information and / or shipment information to the server 210. Alternatively, regarding an order, the terminal 300 may access the server 210 and send the order information directly. In that case, the server 210 may transmit the order information to the terminal 220. Then, the user of the terminal 220 can confirm the order contents.

[0115] Server 210 may update the target product inventory management database upon receiving the order information and / or shipping information. For example, server 210 may update the target product inventory management database with information indicating that the order has been allocated to a portion of a shipping slot for recycled products and / or information indicating that the order has been shipped.

[0116] The server 210 may update the target product inventory management database upon receiving the order information and / or shipping information. For example, the server 210 may perform a process of reducing the shipping quota of the destination customer according to the amount of metal material shipped as a recycled product.

[0117] Separately from the order information and / or shipping information, updated shipping quota information obtained by subtracting the shipping amount of recycled products from the shipping quota may be transmitted from the terminal 220 to the server 210, and the server 210 may use the updated shipping quota information to update the target product inventory management database. Such updated shipping quota information may also be considered information relating to the shipping of recycled products in a broad sense, since it reflects the shipping amount of recycled products.

[0118] For example, let us assume that Company A has a shipping quota of 500 tons and decides to ship metal materials as recycled products in the form of 100 tons of bullion x 4. In this case, Company A can subtract 400 tons from its existing shipping quota of 500 tons.

[0119] If the information on the total shipping quota for recycled products includes the shipping quota for the customer updated above, the same process is also performed on the total shipping quota for recycled products, in which the shipping amount of recycled products is subtracted from the shipping quota.

[0120] The process of reducing the shipping slot is not necessarily performed when order information and / or shipping information is received, and may be configured to be performed only for those who have entered into such a contract. Therefore, for example, information indicating whether or not to perform the addition / subtraction process of the shipping slot may be stored in the target product inventory management database. Then, when the server 210 receives the order information and / or shipping information, it may refer to the target product inventory management database and determine whether or not to perform the addition / subtraction process of the shipping slot. Then, only when it is determined that the addition / subtraction process of the shipping slot is to be performed, the above-mentioned addition / subtraction process of the shipping slot may be performed.

[0121] The same applies to the case where the first metallic resource is received, and the target product inventory management database may be referenced to determine whether or not to adjust the shipping slot.

[0122] 10.Other processes, etc. In addition to the above-mentioned process, the method of the present disclosure in one embodiment may further include a step in which the terminal 220 receives from the server 210 information on the carbon footprint of the recycled product assigned to a specific one of the multiple parties. This allows the user of the terminal 220 to confirm the carbon footprint information of the manufactured metal material (and further the metal material to be shipped). In some cases, the carbon footprint information may be added to the customer at the time of shipping, and the metal material may be shipped. Alternatively, as described above, a part of the target product inventory management database may be set to be accessible by the terminal 300 of the provider of the first metal resource or another party (e.g., a party related to a specific attribute), and the customer (e.g., the provider of the first metal resource or another party) to whom the product is to be shipped may obtain the carbon footprint information of their own recycled product by themselves. In one embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a method for producing recycled products that are provided with carbon footprint information for the recycled products.

[0123] In a further embodiment, the method of the present disclosure may further include a step in which the terminal 220 receives information on the carbon footprint of the first metal resource. In this case, the source of the information on the carbon footprint of the first metal resource may be the server 210 or the terminal 300. When the server 210 is the source, the server 210 may acquire information on the first metal resource including the carbon footprint information from the terminal 300 in advance, and may acquire information on the carbon footprint of the first metal resource from the first metal resource database and transmit the information to the terminal 220. When the terminal 300 is the source, for example, the terminal 220 may acquire information on the first metal resource including the carbon footprint information (for example, by means of e-mail, etc.), and then the terminal 220 may transmit information on the first metal resource including the carbon footprint information to the server 210. Then, the server 210 may update the first metal resource database and store information on the first metal resource including the carbon footprint information.

[0124] In a further embodiment, the method of the present disclosure may further include a step in which the terminal 220 receives carbon footprint information of the first metal resource and / or carbon footprint information related to the third process from the server 210. The carbon footprint information related to the third process may be information based on the carbon footprint value associated with the third process described in the section "7. Updating manufacturing data."

[0125] The server 210 may derive carbon footprint information of the manufactured metallic material (and further, metallic material to be shipped) based on at least the carbon footprint information of the first metallic resource and the carbon footprint information related to the third process. Furthermore, the server 210 may aggregate the carbon footprint information of the manufactured metallic material (and further, metallic material to be shipped) for each attribute of the first metallic resource (for example, for each provider). Here, for example, the carbon footprint information of the metallic material may be calculated assuming that the metallic material is manufactured only from the first metallic resource having a specific attribute (for example, provided by a specific provider). In this case, the carbon footprint information of the metallic material may be calculated using the carbon footprint information of the first metallic resource having the specific attribute.

[0126] In one embodiment, the carbon footprint of the first metallic resource can be managed by provider. For example, a metallic material that is treated as being produced only from a first metallic resource having a specific attribute may be assigned a carbon footprint amount related to the first metallic resource having the specific attribute. The specific attribute may be a specific provider of the first metallic resource.

[0127] Figure 8-2 shows the flow of managing the carbon footprint of each provider. Companies A, B, and C are all companies involved in scrap processing.

[0128] The carbon footprint of scrap from Company B is 8t of CO2 equivalent per 1t of scrap. 5t of scrap is supplied. Therefore, the total CO2 emissions from the scrap from Company B is 40tCO2 (8tCO2 / tscrap x 5t). In addition, in the processing at the smelter, a carbon footprint equivalent to 4t of CO2 is added to process 1t of scrap. Therefore, the CO2 emissions generated when processing the entire scrap from Company B at the smelter are 20tCO2 (4tCO2 / tscrap x 5t). Therefore, when metal materials are manufactured from the entire scrap from Company B, the CO2 emissions related to the metal materials are 60tCO2. In addition, if the yield is 80%, the amount of metal materials obtained from the entire 5t of scrap from Company B is 1.2t (scrap amount x Cu grade x yield 5t x 30% x 80%). Therefore, the carbon footprint of metal materials originating from Company B is 50tCO2 / tCu (60t ÷ 1.2t) per unit weight.

[0129] If we use a similar calculation to calculate the carbon footprint of metal materials originating from other providers, we get the following results. - From Company A: 50tCO2 / tCu ·From Company B: 50tCO2 / tCu ·From Company C: 50tCO2 / tCu Concentrate-derived: 112.5tCO2 / tCu

[0130] If we calculate the total amount of metal material, regardless of the provider, we get the following. First, the total amount of metal material obtained is 5.2t (0.8+1.2+1.6+1.6=5.2). The total amount of CO2 emissions is 360tCO2 ((20+20)+(40+20)+(60+20)+(160+20)=360). Therefore, the carbon footprint per unit weight is 69tCO2 / tCu.

[0131] For example, if 1.2 tons are shipped to Company B, the CO2 emissions from that metal material will be 82.8 tons (1.2 tons x 69 tons of CO2 / tCu). However, as mentioned above, based on the mass balance approach, the 1.2 tons of metal material shipped to Company B can be treated as having been manufactured solely from scrap originating from Company B. Based on this treatment, the CO2 emissions from the metal material will be 60 tons (1.2 tons x 50 tons of CO2 / tCu).

[0132] In another embodiment, the method of the present disclosure may include a step of transmitting carbon footprint information of a recycled product assigned to a specific one of the multiple parties to the server 210. For example, carbon footprint information of a manufactured metal material (and furthermore, a metal material to be shipped) may be derived on the terminal 220 side, not on the server 210. The information and processing contents required for the derivation may be similar to those of the server 210. After the derivation, the terminal 220 can transmit the carbon footprint information of the manufactured metal material (and furthermore, a metal material to be shipped) to the server 210. The server 210 can update a database (e.g., a target product inventory management database, etc.) based on the transmitted information.

[0133] 11. Modifications of the embodiment In the above-described embodiment, in the fourth step, the terminal receives from the server information about a first shipping slot for recycled products that are assigned to a specific one of the multiple parties and are treated as being manufactured only from the first metallic resource. The first shipping slot depends on the amount of the first metallic resource provided by the specific one party that has contributed to the manufacturing of the metallic material in the third step, or the amount that is expected to contribute.

[0134] However, the above-described embodiment can be modified in various ways. For example, the fourth step may be modified so that the recycled product is treated as being manufactured only from the first metal resource related to the specific use, place, or manufacturer from which the first metal resource originates as a specific attribute. The fourth step may be modified so that the first shipping slot depends on the amount of the first metal resource having the specific attribute that has contributed to the production of the metal material in the third step, or the amount that is expected to contribute. The calculation of the amount of carbon footprint can also be modified in a similar manner. Specific examples are described below.

[0135] 11-1. Management by purpose 11-1-1. Management of recycling amounts by use Figure 10 shows an example in which a metal material (e.g., Cu bullion as above) is produced from a first metal resource derived from a specific use, and then shipped to a person related to the same use (e.g., a person who purchases the metal material to produce an item for the same use). Specifically, the following three types of scrap are provided to a smelter: 5t of scrap from automobiles (Cu content 20%) Scrap from electronic parts: 5t (Cu content 30%) 5t of scrap from building materials (Cu content 40%)

[0136] Additionally, the smelter will receive 10 tonnes of concentrate from the mine (Cu content 20%).

[0137] And since the yield is 80%, the metal materials obtained from the metal resources of each origin are as follows: Automobile: 0.8t Electronic components: 1.2t ·Building materials: 1.6t ·Concentrate: 1.6t

[0138] Therefore, a total of 5.2 t of metal materials is obtained. The amount derived from recycling is 3.6 t, of which 1.2 t is derived from electronic components. Therefore, the recycling rate of all metal materials is 69% (3.6 t / 5.2 t x 100), and the recycling rate of the portion of all metal materials derived from electronic components is 23% (1.2 t / 5.2 t x 100). Therefore, if 1.2 t of metal materials is shipped for use in electronic components, 0.28 t (1.2 t x 23%) will be the portion derived from electronic components.

[0139] However, using the mass balance approach, the 1.2 t of metal materials shipped for use in electronic components can all be treated as originating from electronic components.

[0140] In FIG. 10, 1.2 t of metal material is shipped. However, there is an upper limit to the amount of metal material that can be shipped as 100% recycled electronic component-derived metal material. Here, as described above, 5.2 t of metal material is obtained in total, and of this, 1.2 t is derived from electronic components. Therefore, 1.2 t is the upper limit of the shipping quota. Furthermore, when it is shipped for electronic component use, the above-mentioned system and / or information processing terminal performs a process of deducting the shipping quota by the amount of the shipment. For example, when 0.5 t is shipped for electronic component use, 0.5 t is deducted from the shipping quota of 1.2 t, leaving 0.7 t as the remaining shipping quota. Furthermore, when further shipments for electronic component use occur, a process of further deducting from the remaining shipping quota is performed.

[0141] Adopting the above system can contribute to the realization of horizontal recycling (for example, using used products as raw materials to make new identical products).

[0142] Examples of applications include, but are not limited to, automobile parts, electronic parts, building materials, etc., and examples of electronic parts include wire harnesses, etc.

[0143] 11-1-2. Carbon footprint (CFP) management by use In addition to or instead of managing the recycling amount by application, the carbon footprint amount may be managed by application. For example, a metal material that is treated as being manufactured only from metal resources having a specific attribute may be assigned the carbon footprint amount related to the metal resource having the specific attribute.

[0144] FIG. 11 is a similar structure to FIG. 10, but with the addition of information regarding the carbon footprint amount.

[0145] The carbon footprint of scrap from electronic components is 8t of CO2 equivalent per 1t of scrap. 5t of scrap is supplied. Therefore, the total CO2 emissions from the scrap from electronic components is 40tCO2 (8tCO2 / tscrap x 5t). In addition, in the processing at the smelter, a carbon footprint equivalent to 4t of CO2 is added to process 1t of scrap. Therefore, the CO2 emissions generated when processing the entire scrap from electronic components at the smelter are 20tCO2 (4tCO2 / tscrap x 5t). Therefore, when metal materials are manufactured from the entire scrap from electronic components, the CO2 emissions related to the metal materials are 60tCO2. In addition, when the yield is 80%, the amount of metal materials obtained from the entire 5t of scrap from electronic components is 1.2t (scrap amount x Cu grade x yield 5t x 30% x 80%). Therefore, the carbon footprint of metal materials derived from electronic components is 50tCO2 / tCu (60t ÷ 1.2t) per unit weight.

[0146] If we use a similar calculation to calculate the carbon footprint of metal materials derived from other uses, etc., we get the following results. -Automobile-derived: 50tCO2 / tCu - Electronic parts: 50tCO2 / tCu ·Derived from building materials: 50tCO2 / tCu Concentrate-derived: 112.5tCO2 / tCu

[0147] If we ignore the uses and calculate the total amount of metal material, we get the following: First, the total amount of metal material obtained is 5.2t (0.8+1.2+1.6+1.6=5.2). The total amount of CO2 emissions is 360tCO2 ((20+20)+(40+20)+(60+20)+(160+20)=360). Therefore, the carbon footprint per unit weight is 69tCO2 / tCu.

[0148] For example, if 1.2 tons of metal material is shipped for use in electronic components, the CO2 emissions from that metal material will be 82.8 tons (1.2 tons x 69 tons of CO2 / tCu). However, as mentioned above, based on the mass balance approach, 1.2 tons of metal material shipped for use in electronic components can be treated as having been manufactured only from scrap originating from electronic component use. Based on this treatment, the CO2 emissions from the metal material will be 60 tons (1.2 tons x 50 tons of CO2 / tCu).

[0149] 11-1-3. Data related to management of carbon footprint (CFP) amount by use To realize the above-mentioned mechanism, the first metal resource database may store information on uses related to the first metal resource (for example, uses of goods before the first metal resource is manufactured) in addition to the above-mentioned items (see "6. Data processing associated with the acquisition of the first metal resource"). Furthermore, it may store information on the amount of carbon footprint for each use related to the first metal resource.

[0150] The target product inventory management database may be configured to store information on any one or more of the following items in addition to the items described above (see "6. Data processing associated with the acquisition of the first metal resource"); (A) the carbon footprint of the first metal resource for each use of the item from which the first metal resource is derived, (B) the shipping quota volume of the recycled product for each use of the item from which the first metal resource is derived, (C) the carbon footprint of the recycled product for each use of the item from which the first metal resource is derived, etc. For example, in the example of FIG. 11, for the recycled product to be shipped, (B) the shipping quota volume is 1.2t, (C) the carbon footprint of the recycled product is 50tCO2 / tCu, and of these, (A) the carbon footprint of the first metal resource for each use of the item from which the first metal resource is derived is 8tCO2 / tscrap, and this information may be stored.

[0151] This information may then be processed and / or transmitted / received by the server 210 and / or the terminal 220 described above.

[0152] For example, the above information may be used to manage shipping quotas by application. For example, in the example of Fig. 10, the shipping quota for electronic parts is 1.2 tons, and information on the amount of this shipping quota may be stored. Then, each time the shipping quota for electronic parts is used, a process of decrementing the shipping quota may be performed.

[0153] In another example, the above information may be used to assign a carbon footprint for each use to the shipped metal material. For example, in the example of Figure 11, a shipment of 1.2 tons for electronic components is made and the carbon footprint for electronic components is assigned to the shipment.

[0154] With regard to data processing related to recycling rates, carbon footprint amounts, and shipping quotas (e.g., individual shipping quotas and / or overall shipping quotas), the contents of "6. Data processing associated with the acquisition of the first metal resource" and / or "7. Updating manufacturing data" described above may be applied.

[0155] By using the above-mentioned mechanism, horizontal recycling can be realized.

[0156] 11-2. Location-specific management As another modification of the embodiment, management according to location is also possible. Figure 12 shows similar content to Figure 11. Figure 11 shows a flow by use, while Figure 12 shows a flow by country. To make it easier to understand, the calculation content is set to be the same as Figure 11.

[0157] The "location" may be a country unit, or a region unit within a specific country (e.g., a state, a prefecture, etc.). In Fig. 12, an example of management according to a country is shown as an example of the "location".

[0158] In Figure 12, some of the metal materials manufactured from metal resources including scrap in country B are shipped to country B (e.g., by a manufacturer in country B). The metal materials shipped to country B are treated as having been recycled only from scrap in country B. Furthermore, the carbon footprint of the metal materials shipped to country B is calculated as if they were manufactured only from scrap in country B.

[0159] In order to realize the above-mentioned mechanism, the first metal resource database may store, in addition to the items mentioned above (see "6. Data processing associated with the acquisition of the first metal resource"), information regarding locations related to the first metal resource (for example, the location where the first metal resource is manufactured (for example, the location where scrap is manufactured), or the location where goods, waste materials, scrap materials, etc. for manufacturing the first metal resource are shipped, etc.). Furthermore, it may store information regarding the amount of carbon footprint for each location related to the first metal resource.

[0160] In addition to the above items (see "6. Data Processing Associated with Acquisition of the First Metal Resource"), the target product inventory management database may be configured to store information on any one or more of the following: (A) the carbon footprint of the first metal resource for each location related to the first metal resource, (B) the amount of the shipping quota for the recycled product for each location related to the first metal resource, (C) the carbon footprint of the recycled product for each location related to the first metal resource, etc. For example, in the example of FIG. 12, for the recycled product to be shipped, (B) the amount of the shipping quota is 1.2t, (C) the carbon footprint of the recycled product is 50tCO2 / tCu, and of these, (A) the carbon footprint for each location from which the first metal resource originates is 8tCO2 / tscrap, and this information may be stored.

[0161] This information may then be processed and / or transmitted / received by the server 210 and / or the terminal 220 described above.

[0162] For example, the above information may be used to manage shipping quotas by location. For example, in the example of FIG. 12, the shipping quota for country B is 1.2 tons, and information on the amount of this shipping quota may be stored. Then, each time a shipping quota for country B is reached, a process of deducting the shipping quota may be performed.

[0163] In another example, the above information may be used to assign location-specific carbon footprints to shipped metal materials. For example, in the example of Figure 12, a shipment of 1.2 t is made to country B, and the carbon footprint corresponding to country B is assigned to the shipment.

[0164] With regard to data processing related to recycling rates, carbon footprint amounts, and shipping quotas (e.g., individual shipping quotas and / or overall shipping quotas), the contents of "6. Data processing associated with the acquisition of the first metal resource" and / or "7. Updating manufacturing data" described above may be applied.

[0165] By adopting the above mechanism, it will be possible to promote the circulation of specific domestic resources.

[0166] 11-3. Management of the first metal resource by manufacturer As another modification of the embodiment, it is also possible to perform management according to the manufacturer from which the first metal resource originates. The "manufacturer from which the first metal resource originates" described here means the manufacturer of the goods from which the first metal resource originates. In FIG. 13 described later, manufacturer A and manufacturer B correspond to the manufacturers from which the first metal resource originates, while company X, which processes scrap, does not correspond to the manufacturers from which the first metal resource originates. FIG. 13 shows contents similar to FIG. 11 and FIG. 12. FIG. 11 shows a flow by application, and FIG. 12 shows a flow by country, while FIG. 13 shows a flow by manufacturer. To make it easier to understand, the contents of calculations are set to be the same as FIG. 11.

[0167] For example, manufacturer A commissions company X to process its products into scrap. Similarly, manufacturer B commissions company X to process its products into scrap. Manufacturer C processes its products into scrap in-house. These scraps are shipped to smelters to produce metal materials.

[0168] In addition, in Figs. 8-1 to 8-9 and the above-described embodiment related thereto, the recycling rate, the amount of carbon footprint, etc. are managed according to the provider of the first metal resource. In Fig. 13, the provider of the first metal resource is a person who directly or indirectly provides the metal resource (e.g., Company A, Company B, Company C, Company X). On the other hand, the manufacturer of goods is a person who manufactures goods, etc. before being processed into the first metal resource (e.g., Company A, Company B, Company C).

[0169] In FIG. 13, a part of the metal material produced from the first metal resource, including scrap produced from Company B's products, is shipped to Company B. The metal material shipped to Company B is treated as having been recycled only from scrap produced from Company B's products. Furthermore, the carbon footprint amount of the metal material shipped to Company B is calculated as if it had been produced only from scrap produced from Company B's products.

[0170] To realize the above-mentioned mechanism, the first metal resource database may store information for identifying the manufacturer from which the first metal resource originates, in addition to the above-mentioned items (see "6. Data processing associated with the acquisition of the first metal resource"). Furthermore, the first metal resource database may store information regarding the amount of carbon footprint for each manufacturer from which the first metal resource originates.

[0171] The target product inventory management database may be configured to store information on any one or more of the following items in addition to the items described above (see "6. Data processing associated with the acquisition of the first metal resource"); (A) the carbon footprint of the first metal resource for each manufacturer from which the first metal resource originates, (B) the shipping quota volume of the recycled product for each manufacturer from which the first metal resource originates, (C) the carbon footprint of the recycled product for each manufacturer from which the first metal resource originates, etc. For example, in the example of FIG. 13, for the recycled product to be shipped, (B) the shipping quota volume is 1.2t, (C) the carbon footprint of the recycled product is 50tCO2 / tCu, and of these, (A) the carbon footprint for each manufacturer from which the first metal resource originates is 8tCO2 / tscrap, and this information may be stored.

[0172] This information may then be processed and / or transmitted / received by the server 210 and / or the terminal 220 described above.

[0173] For example, the above information may be used to manage shipping quotas for each manufacturer of goods related to the first metallic resource. For example, in the example of FIG. 13, the shipping quota for manufacturer B is 1.2 tons, and information on the amount of this shipping quota may be stored. Then, each time the shipping quota for manufacturer B is reached, a process of deducting the shipping quota may be performed.

[0174] In another example, the above information may be used to assign the carbon footprint of the product manufacturer to the shipped metal material. For example, in the example of Figure 13, a shipment of 1.2 tons to company B is made and the carbon footprint corresponding to company B is assigned to the shipment.

[0175] With regard to data processing related to recycling rates, carbon footprint amounts, and shipping quotas (e.g., individual shipping quotas and / or overall shipping quotas), the contents of "6. Data processing associated with the acquisition of the first metal resource" and / or "7. Updating manufacturing data" described above may be applied.

[0176] By adopting the above system, it is possible to promote closed resource circulation within a specific manufacturer.

[0177] 11-4.Management by combination of attributes In the embodiment described so far, management is performed for each provider, use, location, and manufacturer from which the first metal resource originates. Any combination of these four elements may be managed. For example, management may be performed for each manufacturer from which the first metal resource originates and for each specific use. For example, if the manufacturer is an automobile manufacturer, the scrap provided may be managed separately for items originating from sheet metal and items originating from engine parts. In this case, management of the shipping quota and calculation of the amount of carbon footprint may be performed for each manufacturer from which the first metal resource originates and for each specific use. In another example, when a provider of the first metal resource ships first metal resources originating from multiple countries, management may be performed for each provider of the first metal resource and for each country.

[0178] 11-5. Manufacturing of metal materials from primary metal resources In the embodiments described so far, a second metal resource is provided to the smelter. However, in some embodiments, the provision of a second metal resource may be omitted, and the metallic material may be produced from only the first metal resource. Figure 14 shows an embodiment similar to Figure 13. However, the embodiment shown in Figure 14 differs from that shown in Figure 13 in that no concentrate from a mine is provided to the smelter.

[0179] Similarly, in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 to 3 and 8-1 to 12, provision of the second metal resource may be omitted, and the metal material may be produced only from the first metal resource.

[0180] If a metallic material is produced solely from the first metallic resource, the metallic material is a 100% recycled product. However, the same multiple 100% recycled products may be assigned different attributes based on the mass balance approach depending on the specific attributes of the first metallic resource.

[0181] For example, in the example of FIG. 14, if the shipping is changed to be made not only to Company B but also to Company A, 100% recycled products will be provided to both Company A and Company B. However, with the mass balance approach, the 100% recycled products provided to Company A can be assigned attributes derived from Company A (within the limits of the shipping quota). And the 100% recycled products provided to Company B can be assigned attributes derived from Company B.

[0182] Above, specific embodiments of the invention have been described. The above embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, a technical feature disclosed in one of the above embodiments can be applied to other embodiments. In addition, unless otherwise specified, for a particular method, some steps can be replaced with other steps, and additional steps can be added between two specific steps. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims.

[0183] Potential to contribute to the SDGs According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, it may be possible to promote the use of metal materials with low CFP. This may lead to reducing the impact on climate change. Therefore, one embodiment of the present disclosure may contribute to Goal 13 "Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts" and / or Goal 12 "Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns" of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) led by the United Nations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0184] 100 Information processing device 110 Processor 120 Memory 130 Non-transitory storage medium 140 Communication Module 200 Systems 210 Server 220 Terminals 300 Terminal of a person related to a particular attribute (e.g., a first metal resource provider or other person)

Claims

1. 1. A method for managing the recycling of metal resources, comprising: The method comprises: (A) a first step of acquiring a first metal resource from a plurality of parties, wherein the first metal resource is a used product to be recycled, or a scrap or waste material generated in the process of manufacturing the product; (B) optionally obtaining a second metal resource, wherein the second metal resource is a mineral-derived resource; (C) a third step of producing a metal material using a raw material, the raw material including the first metal resource obtained in the first step, and the raw material may include the second metal resource obtained in the second step; and (D) a step of receiving from the server by the terminal information regarding a first shipping slot of a recycled product that is treated as being manufactured only from the first metal resource having a specific attribute among the first metal resources acquired in the first step, wherein the first shipping slot depends on the amount that the first metal resource having the specific attribute has contributed to the manufacturing of the metal material in the third step or is expected to contribute thereto; and (E) a fifth step of shipping the metal material as the recycled product to a person associated with the specific attribute; (F) a sixth step of transmitting information about the shipment of the fifth step from the terminal to the server, and causing the server to update information about the first shipping slot stored in the server so as to subtract the amount of the recycled products to be shipped from the first shipping slot; A method comprising:

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific attribute includes at least that the first metal resource was provided by a specific one of the plurality of parties, and the party associated with the specific attribute is the specific one.

3. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific attribute includes at least that the first metal resource originates from a specific use, and a person associated with the specific attribute is a person associated with the same use as the specific use.

4. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular attribute includes at least that the first metal resource originates from a particular location, and the person associated with the particular attribute is a person associated with the particular location.

5. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular attribute includes at least that the first metal resource originates from a particular producer, and the entity associated with the particular attribute is the particular producer.

6. 2. The method of claim 1, comprising: a step of receiving from the server by the terminal information regarding a second shipping quota for recycled products that are treated as having been manufactured only from the first metallic resource having the specific attribute, wherein the second shipping quota depends on the amount of the first metallic resource provided by the plurality of parties that has contributed to, or is expected to contribute to, the manufacturing of the metallic material in the third step; The method further comprises:

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of the terminal receiving from the server carbon footprint information of the recycled product (hereinafter, product carbon footprint information) assigned to the recycled product that is treated as having been manufactured only from the first metal resource having the specific attribute.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of receiving, by the terminal, information on the carbon footprint of the first metal resource.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising a step of the terminal receiving from the server information on the carbon footprint of the first metal resource and / or information on the carbon footprint related to the third step.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of the terminal transmitting to a server information on the carbon footprint of the recycled product (hereinafter, product carbon footprint information) assigned to the recycled product treated as having been manufactured only from the first metal resource having the specific attribute.

11. 11. The method of claim 7 or 10, wherein the product carbon footprint information is calculated as if the product was manufactured only from the first metal resource having a specific attribute, and is calculated using at least carbon footprint information of the first metal resource having the specific attribute.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metallic material is electrolytic copper.

Images