Method for managing carbon footprint and method for manufacturing metal material

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a novel method for managing a carbon footprint in metal smelting. This method for managing a carbon footprint includes: a step for obtaining a plurality of types of metal resources; a step for manufacturing a metal material via a plurality of manufacturing processes by using the plurality of types of metal resources at least as raw materials; a step for receiving information related to a specific metal resource among the plurality of types of metal resources; a step in which information related to a shipping quota of the metal material, which is treated as being manufactured only from the specific metal resource, is received from a server by a terminal; and a step for assigning a carbon footprint, which is calculated supposing that only the plurality of manufacturing processes performed on the specific metal resource are performed during the steps for manufacturing said metal material, as the carbon footprint of said metal material, and shipping said metal material within the shipping quota range.

Description

Method for managing carbon footprint and method for manufacturing metal material 【0001】 The present disclosure relates to a method for managing a carbon footprint and a method for manufacturing a metal material. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to a method for managing a carbon footprint in metal smelting and a method for manufacturing a metal material. 【0002】 In recent years, from the viewpoints of environmental problems, SDGs, etc., the interest in greenhouse gases in industrial processes has been increasing. Along with this, the movement to manage the amount of carbon footprint has been increasing. 【0003】 In Patent Document 1, a method for calculating the amount of carbon footprint is disclosed. Specifically, a method for calculating the amount of carbon footprint based on the emissions related to the production and use of electronic media content and the emissions emitted from the procurement, production, distribution, use of information communication equipment to disposal or recycling is disclosed. 【0004】 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-215773 【0005】 In metal smelting, various types of raw materials are brought in. And the required treatments differ depending on the type of raw material. Nevertheless, finally, they are put into the same furnace and a metal material is manufactured. As a result, the management of the carbon footprint in metal smelting becomes complicated. For the above reasons, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a new method for managing the carbon footprint in metal smelting. 【0006】To achieve the above objectives, this disclosure encompasses, in one aspect, the following inventions. (Invention 1) A method for managing carbon footprint, comprising: (1) a step of acquiring a plurality of types of metal resources; (2) a step of manufacturing a metal material using at least the plurality of types of metal resources as raw materials, through a plurality of manufacturing processes, wherein the plurality of manufacturing processes differ depending on the type of metal resource; (3) a step of receiving information relating to a specific metal resource among the plurality of types of metal resources, wherein the specific metal resource is one of the plurality of types of metal resources, and the information includes information that identifies the type of metal resource; (4) a step of a terminal receiving information from a server relating to a shipment quota for the metal material to be treated as if it were manufactured solely from the specific metal resource, wherein the shipment quota depends on the amount that the specific metal resource has contributed to, or is expected to contribute to, the manufacturing of the metal material; and (5) a step of allocating a carbon footprint calculated as if only the plurality of manufacturing processes performed on the specific metal resource were performed in the process of manufacturing the metal material, to the carbon footprint of the metal material, and shipping the metal material within the scope of the shipment quota. (Invention 2) A method according to Invention 1, wherein the plurality of metal resources include one or more of the following: used and recyclable articles, and scraps and / or waste materials generated in the process of manufacturing such articles. (Invention 3) A method according to Invention 1 or 2, further comprising the step of accessing a database to obtain information identifying a plurality of manufacturing processes associated with information identifying the type of metal resource, and carbon footprint information associated with such manufacturing processes. (Invention 4) A method according to any one of Inventions 1 to 3, wherein the carbon footprint of the metal material shipped within the shipping quota is calculated using carbon footprint information of the specific metal resource, as if the metal material were manufactured solely from the specific metal resource. (Invention 5) A method according to any one of Inventions 1 to 4, wherein the specific metal resource is electrical component scrap.(Invention 6) The method of Invention 5, wherein the plurality of manufacturing processes performed on the electrical component scrap include at least a process of incinerating the electrical component scrap to obtain incinerated ash and a process of crushing the incinerated ash. (Invention 7) The method of any one of Inventions 1 to 4, wherein the specific metal resource is scrap copper. (Invention 8) The method of any one of Inventions 1 to 7, wherein the metal material is electrolytic copper. (Invention 9) A method for manufacturing the metal material using the method of any one of Inventions 1 to 8, wherein the carbon footprint information of the metal material is imparted to the metal material. (Invention 10) A method for managing the carbon footprint of a metallic material, wherein the metallic material is manufactured using at least a plurality of types of metallic resources as raw materials and through a plurality of manufacturing processes, wherein the plurality of manufacturing processes differ depending on the type of metallic resource, the method is carried out by a computer system, the system comprises at least one server and at least one terminal, and the method includes: (1) a step in which the terminal receives information relating to a specific metallic resource among the plurality of types of metallic resources, wherein the specific metallic resource is one type of metallic resource among the plurality of types, and the information includes information identifying the type of metallic resource; and (2) a step in which the terminal receives information from the server relating to a shipment quota of the metallic material which is treated as being manufactured solely from the specific metallic resource, wherein the shipment quota depends on the amount that the specific metallic resource has contributed to, or is expected to contribute to, the manufacture of the metallic material. (3) A method comprising the step of a server performing a process to allocate a carbon footprint calculated as if only the plurality of manufacturing processes performed on the specific metal resource were performed in the process of manufacturing the metal material, when shipping the metal material within the limits of the shipping quota, to the carbon footprint of the metal material. 【0007】 In one respect, the above invention makes it possible to easily manage the carbon footprint of the target metal material. 【0008】The method of the present disclosure in one embodiment is shown. The concept of the mass balance approach is explained. The concept of the mass balance approach is explained. The difference from Figure 2 is that Figure 2 represents the actual shipment status to Company A, while Figure 3 represents the conceptual shipment status of the mass balance approach. Here, although the metal material actually shipped is 25% recycled, for some of the products shipped, it is treated as if 100% recycled material was shipped. The information processing device of the present disclosure in one embodiment is shown. The system of the present disclosure in one embodiment is shown. The system of the present disclosure and an external terminal of the system in one embodiment are shown. The database of the system of the present disclosure (e.g., a server) or an external cloud server in one embodiment is shown. The flow of metal resources, concentrates, and metal materials in the method of the present disclosure in one embodiment is shown. Here, although the metal material actually shipped is 50% recycled, it is treated as if 100% recycled material derived from scrap was shipped. The flow of metal resources, concentrates, and metal materials in the method of the present disclosure in one embodiment is shown. Here, although the metal materials actually shipped are 50% recycled, they are treated as if they were shipped as 100% recycled scrap materials. The flow of metal resources, concentrates, and metal materials in the method of this disclosure in one embodiment is shown. Depending on the type of metal resource, they are subjected to different combinations of processing at the smelter. However, ultimately they are fed into the same furnace and mixed to produce metal materials. The flow of metal resources, concentrates, and metal materials in the method of this disclosure in one embodiment is shown. Unlike the previous figures, the processing details are shown more specifically. 【0009】 The following describes specific embodiments for carrying out the invention. The following description is intended to facilitate understanding of the invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. 【0010】 1. Overview 1-1. Overview of the Method In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to a method for managing carbon footprints and a method for manufacturing metallic materials. The method may be carried out using a system. The system may include a database and an information processing terminal. The method includes the following steps (see Figure 1). 【0011】 (1) A process of acquiring multiple types of metal resources. (2) A process of manufacturing a metal material using at least multiple types of metal resources as raw materials, through multiple manufacturing processes, wherein the multiple manufacturing processes differ depending on the type of metal resource. (3) A process of receiving information relating to a specific metal resource among multiple types of metal resources, wherein the specific metal resource is one type of metal resource among the multiple types, and the information includes information that identifies the type of metal resource. (4) A process in which a terminal receives information from a server relating to a shipment quota for a metal material that is treated as being manufactured solely from a specific metal resource, wherein the shipment quota depends on the amount that the specific metal resource has contributed to, or is expected to contribute to, the manufacturing of the metal material. (5) A process of allocating a carbon footprint calculated as if only the multiple manufacturing processes performed on the specific metal resource were performed in the process of manufacturing the metal material, to the carbon footprint of the metal material, and shipping the metal material within the limits of the shipment quota. 【0012】 It should be noted that the above method is not necessarily performed in the order of the steps described. For example, in the group of steps (1) and (2) and the group of steps (3) and (4), either one group may be performed first, or both groups may be performed in at least partially parallel. 【0013】 In a further embodiment, the above method may be used to obtain an estimate of the amount of carbon footprint in the production of a metallic material before carrying out metal smelting. For example, the group of steps (3) and (4) may be performed before the group of steps (1) and (2) to obtain the estimate in advance. Here, the estimate may include the amount that a particular type of metallic resource is expected to contribute to the production of the metallic material. 【0014】In another further embodiment, the above method may be used to obtain an actual value of the amount of carbon footprint in the production of a metallic material after metal smelting has been carried out. For example, the group of steps (1) and (2) may be performed before the group of steps (3) and (4) to obtain the actual value, where the actual value may include the amount that a particular type of metallic resource contributed to the production of the metallic material. 【0015】 1-2. Mass Balance Approach In a further embodiment, the shipment quota in the above method may be based on the mass balance approach. The mass balance approach is "a method of allocating a certain characteristic to a portion of the product in proportion to the amount of raw material with that characteristic input when a raw material with a certain characteristic is mixed with a raw material without that characteristic during the processing and distribution process from raw materials to products." 【0016】 The mass balance approach will be explained using Figures 2 and 3 as concrete examples. Figure 2 shows the case of recycling Cu as a metallic resource. Companies A through C provide a smelter with recycled raw materials such as scrap containing Cu. The smelter is also supplied with mineral-derived Cu (Cu as virgin material). These are mixed to create new Cu material (for example, Cu ingots). In the example in Figure 2, the amount of Cu provided by companies A through C is 250 tons, and the amount of Cu provided from Cu concentrate is 750 tons. Therefore, the recycling rate can be calculated as 250 tons / (250 tons + 750 tons) = 0.25. Thus, the recycling rate of the Cu material produced at the smelter is 25%. 【0017】In Figure 2, four Cu ingots are shipped to Company A. Each individual Cu ingot is not 100% recycled (a metal material manufactured solely from recycled materials). However, in the mass balance approach, as shown in Figure 3, some of the Cu ingots can be considered 100% recycled, and these 100% recycled products can be treated as having been shipped to Company A. In the following, metal materials considered 100% recycled in the mass balance approach, or metal materials manufactured solely from recycled materials, may be referred to as recycled products. 【0018】 Adopting this mass balance approach offers advantages such as being able to offer products derived from 100% renewable and certified raw materials, regardless of the actual content. 【0019】 1-3. Metal Resources The type of metal included in the metal resources used in the method of the present disclosure in one embodiment is not particularly limited. In one embodiment, the metal may be one or more of Fe, Al, Cu, Ag, Au, and Pt. Preferably, the metal is Cu. 【0020】 1-4. Carbon Footprint The term "carbon footprint" (CFP) as used herein 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. It is a numerical value displayed on a product or a system for displaying it, which is the equivalent of CO2 emissions obtained by converting the total amount of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions emitted throughout the entire lifecycle of a product or service, from raw material procurement to disposal and recycling." 【0021】 In this disclosure, carbon footprint (CFP) is defined as "the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated during the cradle-to-gate stage of a product's lifecycle, converted to CO2 emissions, and expressed as a value per unit weight of the product." Note that, if necessary, the phrase "value per unit weight of the product" may be replaced with "value per unit number of products." 【0022】 Furthermore, if necessary, the phrase "value per unit weight of product" may be replaced with "value per unit weight of material input." For example, such a replacement may be made when managing the amount of carbon footprint associated with a particular process or treatment. Here, the material input may refer to the entire material, or to the amount of the target substance contained within the material. For example, if 1 ton of scrap contains 200 kg of Cu, the amount of carbon footprint per unit weight of the scrap may be managed, or the amount of carbon footprint per unit weight of Cu contained in the scrap may be managed. 【0023】 Furthermore, the calculation of carbon footprint amounts described below is merely illustrative and has been simplified for the sake of clarity. Therefore, the scope of the invention is not limited to the specific carbon footprint calculation methods described below. 【0024】 2. Execution Environment In one embodiment, the method of the Disclosure is executable by a computer program (computer software). In another embodiment, the Disclosure relates to such program, a medium storing the program, an apparatus comprising the program, and a method using the program. 【0025】 The environment for executing the program and method is not particularly limited, and a typical information processing device (also known as a computing device) can be used. The information processing device (100) may typically include a processor (110), memory (120), a non-temporary storage medium (130), and a communication module (140), as shown in Figure 4. 【0026】 The information processing device (100) includes, but is not limited to, the following: a server, a personal computer, a tablet device, a smartphone, a smartwatch, smart glasses, etc. 【0027】The program is stored in a non-temporary storage medium (130, e.g., HDD, SSD, etc.), loaded into memory (120, e.g., RAM, etc.) as needed, and executed by a processor (110, e.g., CPU, etc.). If necessary, the program can connect to a network via a communication module (140) to send and receive information. 【0028】 In one embodiment, the program may be installed as application software on an information processing device (100) and executed by the information processing device (100). 【0029】 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 needed. In that case, the functions of the program may be distributed among multiple information processing devices (100). 【0030】 Alternatively, as shown in Figure 5, a system (200) configuration may be adopted in which a server (210) and a terminal (220) are interconnected via a network (e.g., the Internet, LAN, VPN, etc.). In this 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 the 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 the output information transmitted from the server (210) and display it on the terminal (220). 【0031】 Therefore, in another aspect, the Disclosure also relates to an information processing device including the Disclosure's program, and a system including said information processing device. In yet another aspect, the Disclosure relates to terminals and / or servers constituting the Disclosure's system. The internal configuration of the terminals and servers may be the same as that of the information processing device shown in Figure 4. In yet another aspect, the Disclosure relates to a storage medium storing the program (e.g., a non-temporary storage medium, e.g., a computer-readable non-temporary storage medium, e.g., an HDD, SSD, flash memory, optical disk, etc.). 【0032】 As shown in Figure 6, the system 200 described above may be connected to a metal resource provider's terminal (300) via a network (e.g., the Internet). 【0033】 This allows metal resource providers to transmit information related to items to be recycled to a server (210) or terminal (220) within the system (200). 【0034】 In the following sections, each step of the method described above (for example, the steps performed by the server 210, terminal 220, and / or the smelter) will be described in detail. 【0035】 3. Process for obtaining multiple types of metal resources (e.g., process (1) above) A smelter is a facility for manufacturing metal materials, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. In a smelter, raw materials for manufacturing metal materials are obtained. One type of raw material is a metal resource. The metal resource may include at least one of the first metal resource and the second metal resource. Here, the first metal resource may satisfy either of the following two conditions: (Condition 1) It is a used item that is eligible for recycling, or (Condition 2) It is scrap or waste material generated in the process of manufacturing the item. 【0036】 Examples of items relating to Condition 1 include, but are not limited to, the following: electrical components, electronic components; electronic circuit boards; waste electrical wires; household goods; copper piping; decorative items; scrap copper; or scraps thereof. Examples of scraps or waste materials relating to Condition 2 include, but are not limited to, the following: defective parts of ingots; scraps generated by cutting; press scraps; cutting; and scraps, sludge, etc., generated by polishing, etc. 【0037】 Secondary metal resources are resources derived from minerals. For example, secondary metal resources may be the ore itself, the concentrate, or a low-purity metallic material (for example, crude copper in the case of copper). 【0038】Furthermore, the first metal resource may be pre-treated by the supplier (including not only the person who directly or indirectly supplied the metal resource to the smelter, but also the person who directly or indirectly supplied the metal resource to the supplier) before being provided to the smelter. In other words, whether or not the metal resource was pre-treated before being provided to the smelter is not considered when determining whether the above conditions for the metal resource are met. As part of this pre-treatment, for example, crushing or pulverizing may be carried out as appropriate to make it a size suitable for metal smelting. Alternatively, as part of the pre-treatment, for example, a process may be carried out to remove at least some of the substances other than those to be recovered. 【0039】 In one example, the first metal resource is shipped from a manufacturer, recycler, or scrap metal collector and sent to a smelter. Alternatively, the metal resource may be provided by an individual. 【0040】 The source of metal resources is not limited to one entity, but may be multiple entities. Furthermore, the source of metal resources may provide them directly to the smelter, or indirectly to the smelter through a third party. 【0041】 Furthermore, the number of types of metal resources obtained (for example, the first metal resource) is two or more. Therefore, different types of metal resources are obtained. Here, "different types" means that for each process included in the smelting process, there is at least one process that does not overlap with each other. For example, suppose that when a certain metal resource X is subjected to the smelting process, there are four types of processes: A1 → B1 → C1 → D1. On the other hand, suppose that when a certain metal resource Y is subjected to the smelting process, there are four types of processes: A2 → B1 → C1 → D1. In this case, A1 and A2 are different processes. Therefore, metal resources X and Y are considered to be different types of metal resources. 【0042】Further, the smelter may obtain only the above-described first metal resource, or may obtain not only the first metal resource but also, further, a second metal resource. As described above, the second metal resource is a resource derived from minerals. This resource may be the ore itself or a concentrate. Note that the second metal resource is distinguished from the above-described first metal resource in that it has never been commercialized and corresponds to a so-called virgin material. 【0043】 4. Process of manufacturing metal materials (the above process (2), etc.) Using the above-described metal resources, metal materials are manufactured at the smelter. The smelter finally mixes a plurality of types of metal resources provided by a plurality of parties to manufacture metal materials. The smelter may appropriately perform pretreatment on the metal resources. For example, with respect to the metal resources, they may be appropriately pulverized, etc. to a size suitable for metal smelting. For example, with respect to the metal resources, a process of removing substances other than the recovery target may be performed. When the smelter performs pretreatment, the pretreatment is also included in the "process of manufacturing metal materials" of the above process (2). The above-described treatments, etc. related to the process of manufacturing metal materials may be carried out by combining a plurality of types of metal resources. 【0044】 The type of metal material is not particularly limited. For example, the metal material may be any one or more of the following: ingot, ingot, wire, foil, plate, powder, etc. Further, the metal material may be, for example, electrolytic copper. 【0045】 The type of smelting method is not particularly limited. For example, the smelting method may be dry smelting or may be wet smelting (for example, solvent extraction, precipitation separation, leaching, etc.). 【0046】As described above, the number of types of metal resources input at the smelter is plural. One type of metal resource is manufactured into a metal material through a combination of multiple processes. Also, as described above, these multiple processes may include not only smelting processes but also pretreatment processes. In this specification, the smelting process and the pretreatment process are collectively referred to as the manufacturing process. The smelting process may include, for example, processes implemented using equipment such as a blast furnace and / or an oxidation furnace. The purpose of the smelting process may mainly be to obtain a metal material from a second metal resource. The pretreatment process may include, for example, processes such as incineration and / or crushing. The purpose of the pretreatment process may be to make the first metal resource have properties and / or a state suitable for being input into the smelting process. And the specific content of the combination of multiple manufacturing processes varies depending on the type of metal resource. For example, scrap copper and electronic component scraps are each manufactured into metal materials through different combinations of processes (specific examples will be described later in the "Manufacturing Examples" section). 【0047】 5. Step of receiving information related to metal resources (the above step (3), etc.) As described above, a plurality of types of metal resources are provided to the smelter. In relation to this, among the plurality of types of metal resources, information related to a specific type of metal resource is provided. The information includes information for identifying the type of metal resource. 【0048】 When providing the metal resource to the smelter, the provider of the metal resource can transmit information related to the metal resource. 【0049】 In addition to the information for identifying the type of metal resource, the information related to the metal resource is not limited, but may include one or more of the following information: information for identifying an attribute (for example, information for identifying the source), the quantity of the metal resource, the metal grade, the carbon footprint of the metal resource (including information on the carbon footprint in the process of obtaining the metal resource and / or in the process of providing the metal resource to the smelter). The information on the carbon footprint of the metal resource includes, for example, one or more of the following information: information on the carbon footprint related to the pretreatment at the above-mentioned source, and information on the carbon footprint related to transportation. 【0050】As shown in Figure 6, information related to metal resources is transmitted from the metal resource provider's terminal 300 to the system 200. The destination for the transmission of information related to metal resources may be the server 210 shown in Figure 5, or it may be the terminal 220. 【0051】 When sending data from terminal 300 to server 210, for example, server 210 may function as a web server, and terminal 300 may send information related to metal resources via a browser. After receiving the information, server 210 can perform tasks such as updating its database. Server 210 can further send information related to metal resources, or information processed from such information, to terminal 220. 【0052】 When sending information from terminal 300 to terminal 220, for example, terminal 300 can send information related to metal resources to terminal 220 via means such as email (for example, by attaching a file to an email, or by sending information via email indicating the location of a cloud storage that both parties can access). Subsequently, terminal 220 accesses server 210 and sends information related to metal resources, or information processed from said information. Server 210 can then reflect the information received from terminal 220 in a database or the like. 【0053】 6. Accessing the database to retrieve information: Although not mandatory, after various information has been reflected in the database, the database may be accessed to retrieve various information as needed. For example, first, based on information identifying the type of metal resource, information identifying multiple manufacturing processes associated with the information identifying the type of metal resource may be retrieved. Next, based on the information identifying multiple manufacturing processes, carbon footprint information associated with the manufacturing processes may be retrieved. Such processing may be performed by the server 210. 【0054】Server 210 may have access to several databases. The databases may be located within Server 210 (for example, on a storage medium owned by Server 210). Alternatively, the databases may reside on a cloud server outside of System 200. 【0055】 The database may include at least three types of databases, as shown in Figure 7, for example. 【0056】 The metal resource database can store information related to the metal resources described above. The metal resource database may be configured to further store information related to one or more of the following items, for example: information identifying attributes (e.g., information identifying the supplier), information identifying the type of metal resource, quantity of metal resources, metal grade, carbon footprint information of metal resources, delivery lot, etc. The carbon footprint information of metal resources may include, for example, one or more of the following: carbon footprint information related to pre-processing at the supplier mentioned above, and carbon footprint information related to transportation. 【0057】 The metal resource database may further store information identifying multiple manufacturing processes associated with information identifying the type of metal resource. This allows for the retrieval of information related to multiple manufacturing processes required for that type of metal resource in response to queries based on information identifying the type of metal resource. 【0058】 The metal resource database may be updated by the server 210 after it receives information related to metal resources, or information processed from such information, from terminal 220 or terminal 300, based on the information related to metal resources or information processed from such information. The information related to metal resources or information processed from such information may be based on information transmitted from terminal 300, or it may be based on new information added through analysis at a smelter or other facility. As an example of the latter, after acquiring metal resources, the quantity of metal resources, metal quality, etc., may be analyzed at a smelter or other facility. The analysis results may then be transmitted from terminal 220 to the server 210 as information related to metal resources. 【0059】 The smelter processing performance database can store information related to the smelter's performance in manufacturing metal materials. For example, the smelter processing performance database may be configured to store information related to one or more of the following items: the yield of the metal material manufacturing process (process (2) above), the input of metal resources into process (2) for each attribute of the metal resource, the input of all metal resources into process (2) regardless of attribute, the fuel or energy required for processing in process (2), and the utilization of auxiliary materials (e.g., cold materials) required for processing in process (2). The input performance may include, for example, information related to one or more of the following: the quantity of metal resources input into process (2), the amount of target metal contained in the metal resources input into process (2), the amount of metal material manufactured in accordance with the quantity of metal resources input, and the lot number of the metal resources delivered. 【0060】 The smelter processing performance database may further store information identifying multiple manufacturing processes associated with information identifying the type of metal resource. This allows for the retrieval of information related to multiple manufacturing processes required for that type of metal resource (e.g., information on the carbon footprint associated with the manufacturing process) in response to queries based on information identifying the type of metal resource. 【0061】 Furthermore, the smelter processing performance database may also store carbon footprint information associated with information identifying multiple manufacturing processes. This allows for the retrieval of carbon footprint information associated with a manufacturing process in response to queries based on information related to multiple manufacturing processes. Then, for example, based on this carbon footprint information and other information (e.g., information on the quantity of metal resources or metal materials), the amount of carbon footprint related to a process at the smelter (for example, related to the process (2) for manufacturing metal materials as described above) can be calculated via an information processing terminal. 【0062】Furthermore, information identifying multiple manufacturing processes associated with information identifying the type of metal resource may be stored in at least one of the metal resource database and the smelter processing performance database. Alternatively, such information may be stored in a database separate from the metal resource database and the smelter processing performance database. 【0063】 The target product inventory management database can store information related to metal materials manufactured 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 metal resource (e.g., source), carbon footprint of the metal resource, carbon footprint in the smelting process, volume of recycled product shipment quotas, inventory shelf life of recycled products, carbon footprint of recycled products, etc. 【0064】 Furthermore, when a smelter uses metal resources to manufacture metal materials (for example, when a smelter uses at least one metal resource to manufacture metal materials), a portion of the manufactured metal materials will be treated as if they were manufactured solely from that metal resource, based on the mass balance approach. 【0065】 The volume of recycled products included in the target product inventory management database includes the volume of shipping quotas individually allocated for each type of metal resource, and the volume of shipping quotas for all recycled products combined. 【0066】 The inventory validity period for recycled products refers to the period during which metal materials can be shipped as recycled products. The inventory validity period for recycled products is defined, for example, as a fixed period (e.g., one year) starting from the time of manufacture of the metal materials. Furthermore, the quantity of recycled products available for shipment may be stored in the product inventory management database, separated by the inventory validity period of the recycled products. 【0067】 The carbon footprint information for recycled products includes at least the carbon footprint of the process for manufacturing the metal material (process (2) above). In addition, the carbon footprint information for recycled products may further include the carbon footprint information of the metal resource. 【0068】 Information on the carbon footprint of recycled products can be obtained by referring to the metal resource database and the smelter processing performance database. For example, by appropriately considering the quantity of metal resources, metal grade, and carbon footprint information of the metal resources included in the metal resource database, as well as the yield of the metal material manufacturing process (process (2) above) included in the smelter processing performance database, the carbon footprint information of the metal resources (per unit weight of metal material) can be calculated. Also, by appropriately considering, for example, the input record of the entire metal resources into process (2) above, the fuel or energy required for processing in process (2) above, and the utilization record of auxiliary materials (e.g., chilling agents) required for processing in process (2) above, the carbon footprint information of process (2) above (per unit weight of metal material) can be calculated. Then, by adding the two calculated values ​​(i.e., the carbon footprint information of the metal resources (per unit weight of metal material) and the carbon footprint information of the process (per unit weight of metal material) above) together, the carbon footprint information of recycled products (per unit weight of recycled products) can be obtained. 【0069】 Information on the carbon footprint of recycled products may be stored individually in the product inventory management database for each type of metal resource. Even for the same type of metal resource, if the carbon footprint information differs due to other attributes of the metal resource (e.g., source, location), the carbon footprint information may be stored individually in the product inventory management database for each unit where the carbon footprint information of the metal resources is common. Furthermore, even when storing carbon footprint information of recycled products at a unit other than type, it is preferable to configure the product inventory management database so that the carbon footprint information of recycled products can be output for each type. 【0070】Including information on the carbon footprint of metal resources in the carbon footprint information of recycled products means that the carbon footprint information of recycled products will differ depending on attributes (e.g., supplier) and type of metal resource. By managing the carbon footprint of these recycled products individually, it becomes possible to manage the carbon footprint from the metal resources of each supplier to the manufacturing of the metal material. 【0071】 Furthermore, a portion of the target product inventory management database may be made accessible to providers of metal resources or other parties (for example, those who purchase metal materials). For example, a provider of metal resources or other party may access the server 210 via a network from a terminal 300 to view information related to that provider or other party (for example, the quantity of recycled products that the provider has allocated for shipment, the inventory validity period of recycled products, the carbon footprint of recycled products, etc.). 【0072】 7. Calculation of shipment quotas, etc. 7-1. Updating the metal resource database As described above, the information related to metal resources transmitted from terminal 300 is ultimately sent to server 210, whether or not it passes through terminal 220. Server 210 can then update the metal resource database based on the information related to metal resources. 【0073】 7-2. Calculation of Individual Shipment Quotas In one particular embodiment, the calculation of shipment quotas for recycled products to be allocated individually for each type of metal resource is performed, based at least on the updated metal resource database. The calculation of shipment quotas may be performed on the server 210 or on the terminal 220. If performed on the terminal 220, the calculation results of the shipment quotas may be transmitted from the terminal 220 to the server 210. In either case, the server 210 updates the quantity of shipment quotas for metal materials that are treated as being manufactured only from a specific type of metal resource, based on the information in the target product inventory management database, according to the calculation results of the shipment quotas. 【0074】For example, by appropriately considering information identifying the type of metal resource, the quantity of the metal resource, and the grade of the metal that constitutes the metal material (for example, the grade of Cu if Cu ingots are manufactured as the metal material), the amount of metal material produced from a specific type of metal resource can be calculated. In this calculation, if necessary, the yield included in the smelter processing performance database may be further considered. The calculated amount of metal material, or at least an amount based on it, is then reflected in the shipment quota for recycled products of that particular party. 【0075】 For example, Figure 8 shows the case where Company A supplies 1000 tons of scrap. In this case, this information is stored in the metal resource database. Based on this information, the expected amount of metal material to be obtained when 1000 tons of Company A's scrap is input is calculated. For example, assuming the production of copper ingots as the metal material, multiplying the weight of Company A's scrap (1000 tons) by the grade of the copper in Company A's scrap will give the weight of the copper contained in Company A's scrap. For example, if the grade of the copper in Company A's scrap is 10%, the weight of the copper in Company A's scrap will be 100 tons. This weight of the copper in Company A's scrap can be used directly as the expected amount of metal material to be obtained from Company A's scrap. Alternatively, the value obtained by multiplying this weight of the copper in Company A's scrap by a correction factor can be used as the expected amount of metal material. For example, the yield included in the smelter processing performance database may be further considered, 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. Note that the correction factor does not have to be the exact same value as the yield rate. Also, the correction factor may be a unified value, or it may be a different value for each party setting the shipping quota. 【0076】 Based on the information identifying the type of metal resource included in the metal resource database, the metal resource is identified as scrap. If the calculated estimated quantity is 100 tons, the inventory management database for the target product can be updated to increase the shipment limit for scrap-derived metal materials by 100 tons. 【0077】When considering yield, it may be assumed that the yield is constant regardless of the type or attribute of the metal resource. Alternatively, if the yield differs depending on the type or attribute of the metal resource, the yield for each type and attribute of metal resource may be considered by referring to the smelter processing performance database based on the information that identifies the type of metal resource and / or the information that identifies its attribute, which is included in the metal resource database. 【0078】 Furthermore, for one type of metal resource (scrap in the example above), the calculated estimated quantity and the shipment quota are not necessarily exactly equal. The calculated estimated quantity may be adjusted as appropriate, taking various factors into consideration, and the target product inventory management database may be updated with a newly allocated shipment quota. However, preferably, the shipment quota should not exceed the calculated estimated quantity. In any case, the shipment quota described here will be an amount that at least depends on the amount that a particular type of metal resource is expected to contribute to the manufacture of metal materials. Moreover, this shipment quota is a shipment quota for recycled products that are treated as being manufactured from only one specific type of metal resource (scrap in the example in Figure 8) out of several types (scrap or offcuts in the example in Figure 8) (a shipment quota based on the mass balance approach described above). 【0079】 Furthermore, when receiving multiple types of metal resources, it is not necessary to allocate shipping quotas for individual recycled products to all related metal resources; it is sufficient to allocate shipping quotas to items related to at least one specific type of metal resource. For example, in the example in Figure 8, while there may be an arrangement to allocate shipping quotas for scrap, there may be no such arrangement for offcuts. In such cases, although scrap, offcuts, and concentrates each contribute as metal resources, the individual shipping quota updates may be carried out only for scrap. 【0080】 Recycled products from shipment quotas allocated to specific types of metal resources can be shipped to anyone. 【0081】In the example shown in Figure 8, the smelter manufactures metal materials by mixing metal resources supplied as scrap with metal resources supplied by other parties (i.e., scraps and concentrates). Therefore, the metal materials shipped to Company C are not made solely from scrap. However, the shipment quota for metal materials related to scrap is calculated based on the amount of metal resources supplied by Company A that contribute to the manufacture of metal materials. For this reason, conceptually, under the mass balance approach, Company C can receive a supply of 100% recycled products made solely from scrap. 【0082】 In the example above, the calculation of the shipping quota can be performed before inputting the metal resources into process (2) above. Therefore, the shipping quota will depend at least on the amount that the metal resources are expected to contribute to the manufacture of the metal material. However, in another example, the calculation of the shipping quota may be performed after inputting the metal resources into process (2) above, reflecting the actual input into process (2). In this case, the shipping quota will depend at least on the amount that the metal resources contributed to the manufacture of the metal material. The case in which the calculation of the shipping quota is performed after the manufacture of the metal material will be described in detail. 【0083】 7-3. Calculation of the total shipment quota In addition to the shipment quotas for each type (in the example in Figure 8, the shipment quota corresponding to scrap and the shipment quota corresponding to offcuts), the total shipment quota for recycled products (in the example in Figure 8, the combined shipment quota for scrap and the shipment quota corresponding to offcuts) may also be calculated. Similar to the calculation of individual shipment quotas described above, the calculation of the total shipment quota may be performed on the server 210 or on the terminal 220. If performed on the terminal 220, the calculation result of the shipment quota may be transmitted from the terminal 220 to the server 210. Note that when metal materials are manufactured from only the first metal resource, all of the metal materials are 100% recycled, so this calculation of the total shipment quota may be omitted. When metal materials are manufactured by combining the first metal resource and the second metal resource (for example, concentrate), and a portion of the metal materials is considered 100% recycled in the mass balance approach, the total shipment quota for recycled products is calculated. 【0084】For example, in the example shown in Figure 8, Company A supplies 1,000 tons of scrap, and Company B supplies 200 tons of offcuts. Information such as the amount supplied by each company is then stored in the metal resource database. Next, based on this information, the expected amount of metal material to be obtained when the metal resources provided by each company are input is calculated. For example, assuming the production of copper ingots as the metal material, multiplying the weight of Company A's scrap (1,000 tons) by the grade of copper in Company A's scrap gives the weight of copper contained in Company A's scrap. Similarly, multiplying the weight of Company B's offcuts (200 tons) by the grade of copper in Company B's offcuts gives the weight of copper contained in Company B's offcuts. However, other methods may be used. For example, as shown in Figure 8, if the grade of copper in the offcuts provided by Company B is extremely high, the value of the 200 tons of offcuts from Company B can be used, assuming a copper grade of 100%. 【0085】 Using the method described above, the estimated amount of metal material that can be obtained from each type of metal resource is calculated for each type. Then, the estimated amounts calculated for each type are summed up. This allows us to calculate the total estimated amount. Furthermore, the total shipment quota can be calculated based on at least the total estimated amount. 【0086】 Furthermore, the overall estimated quantity may be adjusted using appropriate correction factors, similar to the calculation of individual shipment slots described above. For example, the yield included in the smelter processing performance database may be taken into further consideration, and the estimated quantity of each type of metal material may be calculated by multiplying the weight of Cu in each type of metal resource by the yield rate. 【0087】 By managing the overall shipping quota, it is possible to control the volume of recycled products shipped so that it does not exceed the overall quota. For example, in the example of the individual shipping quotas described above, the shipping quota for scrap is calculated. However, while this shipping quota can be used to control whether or not shipments exceed the scrap shipping quota, other types of control cannot be achieved using only the scrap shipping quota. 【0088】For example, in the example in Figure 8, let's assume that the weight of Cu in the scrap is 100 tons, the weight of Cu in Company B's offcuts is 200 tons, and the weight of Cu in the Cu concentrate is 300 tons. In this case, the total estimated amount of Cu obtained is 600 tons, of which 300 tons corresponds to the first metal resource (50% recycling). This is set as the total shipment quota. The shipment quota allocated to the scrap is then 100 tons. 【0089】 Furthermore, we assume that no individual shipping quotas are set for off-cut materials (and even for scrap and other types of metal resources). 【0090】 In this case, first, of the total 300 tons of shipping capacity, 100 tons are allocated as scrap shipping capacity, leaving the remaining 200 tons as shipping capacity for which no specific recipient has been determined. Within this remaining 200 tons, recycled products can be shipped to any destination, or they can be shipped to Company C separately from the scrap shipping capacity (for example, without changing the volume of scrap shipping capacity). 【0091】 In this way, by managing a combination of overall and individual shipping quotas, it is possible to manage shipping quotas that are not allocated to specific types of metal resources, and to ensure that the total volume of recycled products shipped does not exceed the overall shipping quota for recycled products determined based on the mass balance approach. 【0092】Furthermore, while the above example describes managing shipment quotas for which no specific recipient has been designated as separate information from shipment quotas for which recipients have been designated, as a method for managing the shipment volume of recycled products, it is also acceptable to use the total shipment quota, including the shipment quotas for which recipients have been designated, as the information. In this case, for example, when a shipment is made to Company C, the shipped amount is deducted from the individual shipment quota (in this example, the shipment quota for scrap), and similarly, the shipped amount is deducted from the total shipment quota (in this example, the shipment quota based on the total of scrap and offcuts) for management purposes. Therefore, the total shipment quota volume for recycled products stored in the target product inventory management database may be the amount after deducting the volume of the individual shipment quota for each type of metal resource, or it may include the volume of the individual shipment quota. Details regarding the shipment process and the deduction of shipment quotas will be described later. 【0093】 The calculated individual shipping slots and the overall shipping slots may be transmitted from the server 210 to the terminal 220. 【0094】 In the above example (for example, the example in Figure 8), an example was shown in which a metal material is manufactured from a first metal resource and a second metal resource (i.e., concentrate). However, in the modified example, the metal material may be manufactured from only multiple types of first metal resources. In this case, the calculation of the total shipment quota may be omitted (because the quantity of metal material manufactured will match the total shipment quota). 【0095】 In another variation, multiple providers may provide the same type of metal resource. In Figure 8, Company A and Company D may each provide 500 tons (10% Cu grade) of scrap. In this case, the shipment quota corresponding to the scrap may be set to 100 tons, as described above. That is, regardless of whether there is one provider or multiple providers, the same type of metal resource may be included in the same shipment quota when calculating the shipment quota. 【0096】In further modifications, even if the metal resources are of the same type, only a portion of those resources may be included in individual shipment quotas. For example, in Figure 8, of the 1000 tons (10% Cu grade) of scrap provided by Company A, 200 tons may be included in the shipment quota corresponding to the scrap, setting the shipment quota to 20 tons (200 tons x 10%, assuming a yield of 100%), and the remaining 800 tons may be included in a shipment quota not allocated to a specific type of metal resource. 【0097】 In further modifications, even if the same type of metal resource is used, it may be included in different shipment quotas. For example, even if Company A and Company D each provide 500 tons of scrap (10% Cu grade), a separate shipment quota of 50 tons (500 tons x 10%, assuming a yield of 100%) may be set for the scrap originating from Company A, and a separate shipment quota of 50 tons for the scrap originating from Company D. 【0098】 Furthermore, even for the same type of metal resource, shipment quotas may be divided in the following cases: (Example 1) When the amount of carbon footprint of the metal resource differs. The carbon footprint information of the metal resource includes, for example, one or more of the following: carbon footprint information related to pre-processing at the supplier as described above, and carbon footprint related to transportation. (Example 2) When the carbon content (in other words, the amount of greenhouse gas emissions originating from the raw material itself) differs. 【0099】 As described later, the amount of carbon footprint of metal resources and the amount of greenhouse gas emissions originating from the raw materials themselves may be included in the carbon footprint of metal materials for each shipment quota, assuming that the metal materials were manufactured solely from those metal resources. Even for metal resources of the same type, allocating metal resources with different carbon footprints to separate shipment quotas allows for a more detailed reflection of the differences in carbon footprints of each metal resource in the carbon footprint of metal materials. 【0100】7-4. Database Management As described above, various types of information may be managed by the database provided by the server 210 and / or by a database accessible to the server 210. Alternatively, management can be done at individual terminals, but managing information on the server 210's database may offer the following advantages: - Even if multiple recipients accept metal resources (e.g., recycled raw materials), information on metal resources can be managed centrally. - Even if metal materials are sold from multiple sales offices, shipping information is centrally managed by the server 210. This makes it easy to manage the amount shipped within the shipping quota for 100% recycled products. - Information related to shipping quotas can be shared with customers who are both providers and recipients of metal resources through the server 210. This makes it easier for customers to plan procurement and scrap collection. - It can accommodate customer requests for closed horizontal recycling. For example, metal resources (e.g., recycled raw materials) provided by company A can be returned as metal materials originating from company A (e.g., 100% recycled products) under the concept of the mass balance approach. This allows for clear traceability from metal resources to the manufacturing of metal materials. This also facilitates the management of the carbon footprint, which will be discussed later. 【0101】 8. Updating Manufacturing Data 8-1. Updating Manufacturing Data After performing the above step (2), manufacturing results can be entered through the terminal 220. The information related to the entered manufacturing results can then 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 also update the target product inventory management database based at least on the received information. 【0102】 The updates to the smelter processing performance database may include one or more of the following: yield in the current manufacturing process, input of metal resources by type, overall input of metal resources, energy required for processing (including carbon footprint), and material utilization. 【0103】 The updates to the target product inventory management database may include one or more of the following: information identifying the source of metal resources, carbon footprint of recycled products, volume of metal materials manufactured, inventory period of manufactured recycled products, carbon footprint associated with the above process (2), etc. 【0104】 Information identifying the source of metal resources may be updated based on data from a metal resource database. The carbon footprint associated with the above process (2) may be calculated as a value per unit weight of metal material by dividing the carbon footprint incurred in the manufacturing process of the metal material (including, if applicable, the carbon footprint incurred in pre-treatment) by the weight of the manufactured metal material. 【0105】 The carbon footprint incurred in step (2) above may be the actual value at that time, but preferably, the average value over a certain period in the past (for example, the past year) may be used. 【0106】 8-2. Calculation of Individual Shipping Slots In another embodiment, the shipping slots may be calculated using a method different from the method described in "7-2. Calculation of Individual Shipping Slots". 【0107】 In the calculation of shipment quotas described in "7-2. Calculation of Individual Shipment Quotas," the shipment quotas were calculated based on the amount that metal resources are expected to contribute to the manufacture of metal materials, using a metal resource database. In another embodiment, as described below, after performing the above step (2), the shipment quotas are calculated based on the amount that metal resources have contributed to the manufacture of metal materials. 【0108】 Let's explain using the example shown in Figure 9. In one of the databases mentioned above (for example, the metal resource database), the metal resource database may manage the lots of metal resources that are provided. For example, as shown in Figure 9, even if the same type and source are the same, metal resources may typically be provided multiple times. Therefore, if metal resources are provided three times from the same company A, a lot may be assigned to each (X1 to X3). 【0109】Furthermore, when updating the smelter processing performance database regarding manufacturing results, it may be possible to record which lot of metal resources were used in the current manufacturing process. For example, in the example shown in Figure 9, it may be possible to record that metal resources from lots X1, X2, and X4 were used. 【0110】 Furthermore, when updating the target product inventory management database, it may be possible to store which lot of metal resources the target product's metal material originates from. For example, the metal material (Cu material) manufactured in Figure 9 is partially derived from metal resources provided by Company A. Here, Company A provides metal resources in lots X1 to X3, of which lots X1 and X2 contribute to the manufacture of the metal material. Therefore, information related to lots X1 and X2 is obtained from the metal resource database (e.g., quantity of metal resources, metal grade, etc.), and the amount contributed by lots X1 and X2 is calculated. Similar to the case in Figure 8, if the Cu grade in Company A's scrap is 10%, the amount contributed by lots X1 and X2 is 50 tons of Cu in Company A's scrap. This weight of Cu in Company A's scrap may be used directly as the amount of metal material obtained from Company A's scrap (or the amount that Company A's scrap contributed to the manufacture of the metal material). Alternatively, the amount contributing to the production of metal materials may be calculated by multiplying the weight of Cu in Company A's scrap by a correction factor. For example, the yield included in the smelter processing performance database may be further considered, and the amount of metal materials produced may be calculated by multiplying the weight of Cu in Company A's scrap by the yield rate. The correction factor may be a unified value, a different value for each company, or it may differ for each lot of metal resource delivery, or it may differ for each lot of metal material production. 【0111】After calculating that 50 tons of metal materials contributed to the manufacturing process, the inventory management database for the target product can be updated to increase the scrap shipment quota by 50 tons. In addition, some of the methods described in "7-2. Calculation of Individual Shipment Quotas" may be applied when calculating the shipment quota (for example, it is not necessary for the calculated estimated amount and the shipment quota to be exactly equal, and when receiving metal resources from multiple types, it is not necessary to allocate an individual recycled product shipment quota for all types). 【0112】 8-3. Calculation of the total shipping quota In addition to individual shipping quotas (in the example in Figure 9, the combined shipping quotas for lots X1 and X2 of company A and lot X4 of company B), the total shipping quota (in the example in Figure 9, the combined shipping quota for lots X1 and X2 of company A and lot X4 of company B) may also be calculated. Similar to the calculation of individual shipping quotas described above, the calculation of the total shipping quota may be performed on the server 210 or on the terminal 220. If performed on the terminal 220, the calculation result of the shipping quota may be transmitted from the terminal 220 to the server 210. 【0113】For example, in the example in Figure 9, Company A supplies 1000 tons of scrap (lots X1, X2, and X3), and Company B supplies 200 tons of offcuts (lot X4). Information such as the supply quantity of each type is then stored in the metal resource database. Next, after the metal material is manufactured, the smelter processing performance database may be stored to record which lot of metal resource was used in this manufacturing process. For example, in the example in Figure 9, it may be stored to record that the metal resources from lots X1, X2, and X4 were used. Based on this information, the amount of metal material obtained when each type of metal resource provided was input is calculated. For example, assuming the manufacture of copper ingots as the metal material, multiplying the weight of Company A's scrap (lots X1 and X2) by the grade of the copper in Company A's scrap (500 tons) will give the weight of the copper contained in Company A's scrap (lots X1 and X2). Similarly, multiplying the weight of Company B's scrap (200 tons) by the Cu grade of Company B's scrap (lot X4) yields the weight of Cu contained in Company B's scrap. However, other methods may be used; for example, if the Cu grade of the scrap provided by Company B is extremely high, the value of the weight of Company B's scrap (200 tons) itself may be used, assuming a Cu grade of 100%. 【0114】 Using the method described above, the amount of metallic material obtained from each type of metal resource (in other words, the contribution to the manufacture of metallic material) is calculated for each type. Then, the contributions calculated for each type are summed up. This allows the overall contribution to be calculated. Furthermore, the overall shipment quota can be calculated based at least on the overall contribution. 【0115】 Furthermore, the yield data included in the smelter processing performance database may be taken into further consideration, and the contribution of each type of metal material may be calculated by multiplying the weight of Cu in each company's scrap by the yield rate. 【0116】 The significance of the overall shipping quota is the same as explained in Figure 8 (see "7-3. Calculation of the Overall Shipping Quotas"). 【0117】 The calculated individual shipping slots and the overall shipping slots may be transmitted from the server 210 to the terminal 220. 【0118】 Regarding the calculation of shipping quotas described in "7-2. Calculation of Individual Shipping Quotas" and "7-3. Calculation of Overall Shipping Quotas," and the calculation of shipping quotas described in "8-2. Calculation of Individual Shipping Quotas" and "8-3. Calculation of Overall Shipping Quotas," it is acceptable to perform only the former, only the latter, or both. If both are performed, the calculation of the former shipping quota may be considered as a provisional shipping quota. 【0119】 9. Acquisition of shipping slot information (as described in step (4) above) After the server 210 has calculated the individual shipping slots using the method described above, the terminal 220 can receive information related to each individual shipping slot. This allows the terminal 220 to confirm the individual shipping slots generated by the current manufacturing process. Furthermore, the terminal 220 can confirm information related to past individual shipping slots, and / or the total shipping slots obtained by adding the individual shipping slots generated by the current manufacturing process to the past individual shipping slots. For example, in the example in Figure 8, assuming a yield of 100% and that all supplied Cu is reflected in the shipping slots, 100 tons would be related to scrap and would be the individual shipping slots generated by the current manufacturing process. 【0120】 Furthermore, terminal 220 can receive information related to the overall shipping quota, including the shipping quota for recycled products that have not been allocated to individual types. This allows terminal 220 to confirm the overall shipping quota. In the example in Figure 8, assuming a yield of 100% and that all supplied Cu is reflected in the shipping quota, the total of 300 tons, which is the sum of all supplied Cu from companies A to B, will be the total shipping quota generated by this manufacturing process. 【0121】 As mentioned repeatedly, the shipment quota is not for partially recycled products as shown in Figure 2, but for 100% recycled products (i.e., recycled products treated as being manufactured solely from the primary metal resource) as shown in Figure 3. 【0122】10. Shipping Process (Process (5) above, etc.) After manufacturing the metal materials, the smelter can ship recycled products according to customer orders. When an order is received and / or when a shipment is made, terminal 220 may transmit order information and / or shipping information to server 210. Alternatively, regarding orders, terminal 300 or another terminal may access server 210 and send order information directly. In that case, server 210 may transmit the order information to terminal 220. The user of terminal 220 can then confirm the order details. 【0123】 When server 210 receives order information and / or shipping information, it may update the target product inventory management database. For example, server 210 may update information indicating that an order has been allocated to a portion of the shipping quota for recycled products and / or that the product has been shipped. 【0124】 When server 210 receives order information and / or shipping information, it may update the target product inventory management database. For example, server 210 may then reduce the shipping quota held by the customer to whom the product was shipped, in accordance with the amount of metal material shipped as recycled product. 【0125】 In addition to order information and / or shipping information, the terminal 220 may send updated shipping slot information, obtained by subtracting the shipping volume of recycled products from the shipping slot, to the server 210, and the server 210 may use this information to update the target product inventory management database. Such updated shipping slot information can also be considered information related to the shipment of recycled products in a broad sense, as it reflects the shipping volume of recycled products. 【0126】 For example, suppose a company has a shipping quota of 500 tons of scrap metal, and decides to ship the metal material as recycled products in the form of four 100-ton ingots. In this case, it is possible to reduce the existing scrap shipping quota of 500 tons by 400 tons. 【0127】If the overall shipment quota information for recycled products includes the shipment quota of the customer updated above, the same process will be applied to the overall shipment quota for recycled products, by subtracting the quantity of recycled products shipped from the shipment quota. 【0128】 Furthermore, the process of reducing the shipping quota is not necessarily performed every time order information and / or shipping information is received; it may be configured to be performed only for those with such contracts. Therefore, for example, the target product inventory management database may store information indicating whether or not to perform the adjustment of the shipping quota. The server 210 may then refer to the target product inventory management database when it receives order information and / or shipping information to determine whether or not to perform the adjustment of the shipping quota. The server may then perform the adjustment of the shipping quota only if it has decided to do so. 【0129】 The same applies when metal resources are received; the relevant product inventory management database may be used to determine whether or not to adjust the shipping quota. 【0130】 11. Assignment of Carbon Footprint A carbon footprint may be assigned to the metal materials being shipped at any time. The assigned carbon footprint shall include at least the carbon footprint related to the manufacturing process. In some cases, the assigned carbon footprint may include the carbon footprint related to the manufacturing process and the carbon footprint of the metal resource itself. The latter carbon footprint may include, for example, the carbon footprint associated with manufacturing the metal resource (e.g., scrap processing) or transporting it. The carbon footprint related to the manufacturing process may also include the amount of greenhouse gases generated from carbon in the metal resource. 【0131】 The above carbon footprint allocation is based at least on carbon footprint information associated with the manufacturing process. This carbon footprint information may be stored in a database (e.g., the smelter processing performance database mentioned above). 【0132】 Referring to Figure 10, a specific example of carbon footprint allocation will be explained below. As shown in Figure 10, several combinations of manufacturing processes are carried out in a smelter. The content of the combinations differs depending on the type of metal resource (and even if the type is the same, it may differ depending on other attributes related to the metal resource). For example, scrap is used in combinations A1 to A2. On the other hand, offcuts are used in combinations B1 to B3. Concentrates are used in combinations C1 to C2. These raw materials are ultimately fed into the same furnace (process X in Figure 10) and manufactured as one type of metal material. 【0133】 The information processing terminal accesses the database to obtain various types of information (for example, information related to carbon footprint information). Here, the information processing terminal may be, for example, the terminal 220 shown in Figure 5, or the server 210 shown in Figure 5. The database may be located within the server 210 (for example, within the storage medium of the server 210). Alternatively, the database may reside on another cloud server accessible by the server 210. 【0134】 For example, as explained in "6. Process of accessing a database and obtaining information," the information processing terminal obtains information identifying multiple manufacturing processes associated with information identifying the type of metal resource, based on information identifying the type of metal resource. Next, based on the information identifying the multiple manufacturing processes, it obtains carbon footprint information associated with the manufacturing processes. Based on this obtained information, the carbon footprint of the manufacturing process can be calculated. 【0135】While not limited to these, the smelter processing performance database may be configured to store information in association with the type of metal resource, each process in the metal material manufacturing process, and the amount of carbon footprint associated with each process (see Table 1 for example). In this case, data uniqueness is achieved by combinations that include at least the type of metal resource and each process in the metal material manufacturing process. For example, in the case of scrap, it is manufactured through three steps: processes A1 to A2 and process X. The amount of carbon footprint corresponding to each process is then managed. 【0136】 【0137】 Furthermore, in the example in Table 1, the scrap and offcuts are subjected to different processes. However, if they are ultimately combined and fed into the same furnace to produce one type of metal material, they may have a common process (process X in the case of Table 1). The amount of carbon footprint related to the common process may be managed for each type of metal resource and / or for each process, or it may be managed as a common item. 【0138】 The data in Table 1 may be distributed across multiple databases. For example, data linking the type of metal resource and its processing method may be stored in a metal resource database, and data linking the processing method and the amount of carbon footprint may be stored in a smelter processing performance database. 【0139】 The amount of carbon footprint stored in the database may be the amount of carbon footprint for a specific lot, or it may be the average amount of carbon footprint for lots within a specific period. 【0140】In another example, as shown in Table 1 above, it is not necessary to store the processing details and the amount of carbon footprint associated with those processing details for all types of metal resources; they may be stored in a different format. For example, the amount of carbon footprint directly corresponding to the type of metal resource may be stored. For example, in the example in Table 1, information identifying the type of metal resource (e.g., scrap) may be associated with the amount of carbon footprint corresponding to that type of metal resource (e.g., the sum of the carbon footprints of processing details A1, A2, X, etc. in Table 1) and stored accordingly. 【0141】 In another example, the smelter processing performance database may be configured to store information identifying a lot, the type of metal resource, each process in the metal material manufacturing process, and the amount of carbon footprint for each process in association with each other. In this case, data uniqueness is achieved by a combination that includes at least the lot identifying information, the type of metal resource, and each process in the metal material manufacturing process. 【0142】 By using the above-described method of associating and storing information, it becomes easy to calculate the amount of carbon footprint based on information about the type of metal resource. Furthermore, even when manufacturing metal materials by mixing multiple types of metal resources, the amount of carbon footprint can be easily calculated. 【0143】 The information processing terminal may send a query to the database containing information related to the type of metal resource (or, if necessary, information further identifying the lot) to obtain the amount of carbon footprint related to the metal resource. If necessary, the information processing terminal may also obtain information on the processing of the metal resource. 【0144】The information processing terminal calculates the amount of carbon footprint in the manufacturing of metal materials produced from metal resources, based at least on the amount of carbon footprint acquired. For example, in the example in Table 1, it is assumed that scrap is acquired as the first type of first metal resource, and offcuts are acquired as the second type of first metal resource. In the preceding process, the information processing terminal accesses the database and obtains the values ​​of the carbon footprint amounts for processing contents A1 to A2, processing contents B1 to B3, and processing contents X. 【0145】 The information processing terminal may further acquire information on the quantity of metal resources acquired. Information related to the quantity of metal resources may be acquired by the user inputting it into the information processing terminal. Alternatively, information related to the quantity of metal resources may be acquired by accessing a database (the metal resource database mentioned above). The metal resource database may be updated, for example, when metal resources are acquired, before acquisition, or after acquisition. At that time, values ​​related to the quantity of metal resources may be reflected in the metal resource database. 【0146】 The information processing terminal may calculate the amount of CO2 emissions corresponding to the actual processing based on the amount of carbon footprint corresponding to the processing content and the amount of metal resources. For example, if the amount of carbon footprint for a certain processing is 10 tCO2 / tCu and the amount of Cu as a metal resource is 5 t, then the amount of CO2 emissions corresponding to the actual processing will be 50 tCO2 (10 × 5). 【0147】 In another example, the information processing terminal may be input with the target amount of metal material to be manufactured. For example, suppose we want to manufacture 4 tons of metal material (e.g., copper ingots). And suppose we assume that the carbon footprint of a certain process is 15 tCO2 / tCu ingot. In this case, the amount of CO2 generated by the actual process will be 60 tCO2 (15 x 4). 【0148】It should be noted that in the first example, the denominator of the carbon footprint amount of 10 tCO2 / tCu corresponds to the amount of Cu in the metal resource (input side), while in the other example above, the denominator of the carbon footprint amount of 15 tCO2 / tCu ingot corresponds to the amount of Cu in the metal material (output side). 【0149】 Therefore, preferably, the database may store the amount of carbon footprint expressed in multiple types of units, depending on the calculation method. 【0150】 If necessary, the information processing terminal may access a database (for example, a metal resource database) to obtain the amount of carbon footprint of the metal resource itself. The information processing terminal may then calculate the amount of carbon footprint of the metal material based at least on the amount of carbon footprint of the metal resource itself and the amount of carbon footprint of the entire manufacturing process actually carried out. 【0151】 The above method allows for the calculation of the carbon footprint associated with multiple processes corresponding to the scrap. When shipping metal materials from the allocated scrap allocation, the mass balance approach allows the metal materials to be treated as if they were manufactured entirely from scrap. Accordingly, the carbon footprint associated with the multiple processes corresponding to the scrap can be allocated to the metal materials. The allocated carbon footprint is managed as the carbon footprint associated with the manufacturing process of the metal materials. 【0152】In the example shown in Figure 10, let's assume that 1,000 tons (10% Cu grade) provided by Company A are included in the scrap shipment quota, and the shipment quota is set to 100 tons (1,000 tons x 10%, assuming a yield of 100%). The metal material shipped from this quota is considered to be manufactured solely from scrap (scrap-derived metal material) using the mass balance approach. Since the scrap is manufactured through three steps, Process A1 to Process A2 and Process X, the carbon footprint related to the manufacturing process of the metal material can be calculated by summing the carbon footprints of Process A1 to Process A2 and Process X shown in Table 1. Then, by adding the amount of carbon footprint related to the metal resource itself, etc., as needed, to this amount of carbon footprint related to the manufacturing process, the carbon footprint of the metal material can be calculated. 【0153】 Here, let's consider the case where the carbon footprint of metallic materials is calculated without using the mass balance approach. The amount of metallic material produced from 1000 tons (10% Cu grade) scrap provided by Company A is 100 tons (1000 tons x 10%, assuming a yield of 100%). The amount of metallic material produced from 200 tons (100% Cu grade) offcuts provided by Company B is 200 tons (200 tons x 100%, assuming a yield of 100%). The amount of metallic material produced from 1000 tons (30% Cu grade) concentrate is 300 tons (1000 tons x 30%, assuming a yield of 100%). These raw materials are ultimately fed into the same furnace (process X in Figure 10) and produced as one type of metallic material. Therefore, of the manufactured metal materials, approximately 17% (= 100t / (100t + 200t + 300t) × 100) are derived from scrap, approximately 33% (= 200t / (100t + 200t + 300t) × 100) are derived from offcuts, and approximately 50% (= 300t / (100t + 200t + 300t) × 100) are derived from concentrate. To calculate the carbon footprint of the manufacturing process of these metal materials, it is necessary to first determine the amount of carbon footprint related to the manufacturing process of each raw material from the manufacturing process that each raw material passes through, and then apportion that amount of carbon footprint according to the above ratio (the ratio of the amount contributed by that raw material to the total amount of metal materials). 【0154】 Compared to methods that do not use the mass balance approach, it is clear that the method for managing carbon footprints according to this embodiment allows for easy calculation of the carbon footprint of metal materials by assuming that the metal materials were manufactured from only specific types of metal resources using the mass balance approach. As mentioned above, even for the same type of metal resource (e.g., scrap), if the amount of carbon footprint of the metal resource differs, if the grade of specific metals contained in the metal resource differs, or if the carbon content of the metal resource differs, metal resources with different carbon footprints may be assigned to separate shipping slots. By setting shipping slots in this way, it is possible to assume that the metal materials were manufactured from only metal resources with the same carbon footprint, making it easier to calculate the carbon footprint of metal materials. 【0155】 Furthermore, when calculating the carbon footprint of metallic materials without using the mass balance approach, the amount of carbon footprint of the metallic materials ultimately changes depending on the type and quantity of metallic resources fed into the same furnace. In other words, even if the type of metallic resource is the same scrap, if it is processed together with other types of metallic materials that have a large carbon footprint from their manufacturing process, the carbon footprint of the metallic material will be large, and if it is processed together with other types of metallic materials that have a small carbon footprint from their manufacturing process, the carbon footprint of the metallic material will be small. This makes it difficult to evaluate the environmental impact of processes across multiple smelters. 【0156】In this respect, with this embodiment, since the metal material can be considered to have been manufactured only from a specific type of metal resource (e.g., scrap), the calculation of the carbon footprint and the evaluation of environmental impact do not depend on the type or quantity of other types of metal materials. For this reason, for example, if a provider of metal resources wants to compare the environmental impact generated at a smelter when they provide their metal resources to a smelter, they can obtain carbon footprint information related to the type of metal resource from each smelter, thereby more accurately understanding the environmental impact generated by their own metal resources and using this information as a reference when deciding which smelter to provide their metal resources to. 【0157】 12. Computer System In one embodiment, the disclosure may be carried out by a computer system. The system may include at least one server and at least one terminal. Each step may be performed on either the server and / or the terminal. 【0158】 For example, the method may include the following steps: (1) a step in which a terminal receives information relating to a specific metal resource from among several types of metal resources, wherein the specific metal resource is one type of metal resource from among several types, and the information includes information that identifies the type of metal resource; (2) a step in which a terminal receives information from a server relating to a shipment quota for metal materials that are treated as being manufactured solely from the specific metal resource, wherein the shipment quota depends on the amount that the specific metal resource has contributed to, or is expected to contribute to, the manufacturing of the metal material; and (3) a step in which, when shipping the metal material within the scope of the shipment quota, the server assigns a carbon footprint calculated as if only the multiple manufacturing processes performed on the specific metal resource were performed in the process of manufacturing the metal material, to the carbon footprint of the metal material. 【0159】 For example, the process described in (1) above, or the method including said process, may include performing the processing described in either section "5. Process for receiving information related to metal resources (such as the above process (3))" or "6. Process for accessing a database and obtaining information." 【0160】 For example, the process in (2) above, or the method including said process, may include performing the processing described in any of the sections "7. Calculation of shipping slots, etc.", "8. Updating manufacturing data", and "9. Acquisition of shipping slot information (process (4) above, etc.)". 【0161】 For example, the process in (3) above, or the method including said process, may include carrying out the processing described in either section "10. Shipping Processing (Process (5) above, etc.)" or "11. Carbon Footprint Allocation". 【0162】 13. Manufacturing Examples A portion of specific manufacturing examples is shown in Figure 11. Electrical component scrap is supplied as the first type of first metal resource. Used copper is supplied as the second type of first metal resource. 【0163】 Scrap electrical components are incinerated in a kiln furnace and transformed into incinerated ash. The incinerated ash is sieved according to size. Depending on the size, some of the incinerated ash is supplied directly to the converter. Some of the incinerated ash is further crushed. After crushing, some of the incinerated ash is supplied to the converter, and another portion is supplied to the self-smelting furnace. The scrap copper is shaped into the appropriate form and then supplied to the converter. 【0164】 After being supplied to the self-smelting furnace and converter, the metal material (for example, copper ingot) is produced through casting or other processes as appropriate. 【0165】 The database stores the amount of carbon footprint corresponding to each process shown in Figure 11. Furthermore, for converters, the amount of carbon footprint may be stored separately depending on the attributes of the metal resource (for example, the amount of carbon footprint for converter processing corresponding to electrical component scrap and the amount of carbon footprint for converter processing corresponding to scrap copper). 【0166】Of course, the supplied metal resources are not limited to two types: a first type of first metal resource and a second type of second metal resource. A third type of first metal resource and other metal resources may also be supplied. Further processing may be carried out in conjunction with this. Alternatively, in addition to multiple types of first metal resources, one or more types of second metal resources may be supplied. Further processing may also be carried out in conjunction with this. 【0167】 The information processing terminal acquires information on the supply amount of electrical component scrap (or the amount of Cu contained in the electrical component scrap) and the supply amount of waste copper (or the amount of Cu contained in the waste copper). The information processing terminal then accesses a database to acquire information on the amount of carbon footprint corresponding to each manufacturing process. Based on the acquired information, the information processing terminal can perform calculations to estimate the amount of carbon footprint generated in the manufacturing process, or the amount of carbon footprint in the planned manufacturing process. 【0168】 The above describes specific embodiments of the invention. The above embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. For example, the technical features disclosed in one of the above embodiments can be applied to other embodiments. Also, unless otherwise specified, for a particular method, it is possible to change the order of some steps and other steps, and further steps may be added between two specific steps. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims. 【0169】 Potential Contribution to the SDGs According to one embodiment of the present invention, the management of CFP can be made easier, and the use of low-CFP metallic materials can be promoted. This could lead to a reduction in the impact of climate change. For this reason, one embodiment of the present disclosure may contribute to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13, “Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts,” and / or Goal 12, “Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.” 【0170】100 Information processing device 110 Processor 120 Memory 130 Non-temporary storage medium 140 Communication module 200 System 210 Server 220 Terminal 300 Terminal of metal resource provider

Claims

1. A method for managing a carbon footprint, comprising: (1) acquiring a plurality of types of metal resources; (2) manufacturing a metal material using at least the plurality of types of metal resources as raw materials, through a plurality of manufacturing processes, wherein the plurality of manufacturing processes differ depending on the type of metal resource; (3) receiving information relating to a specific metal resource among the plurality of types of metal resources, wherein the specific metal resource is one of the plurality of types of metal resources, and the information includes information identifying the type of metal resource; (4) a terminal receiving information from a server relating to a shipment quota for the metal material treated as being manufactured solely from the specific metal resource, wherein the shipment quota depends on the amount that the specific metal resource has contributed to, or is expected to contribute to, the manufacturing of the metal material; and (5) allocating a carbon footprint calculated as if only the plurality of manufacturing processes performed on the specific metal resource were performed in the process of manufacturing the metal material, to the carbon footprint of the metal material, and shipping the metal material within the limits of the shipment quota.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of metal resources include one or more of the following: used articles that are subject to recycling, and scraps and / or waste materials generated in the process of manufacturing such articles.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising the step of accessing a database to obtain information identifying a plurality of manufacturing processes associated with information identifying the type of metal resource, and information on the carbon footprint associated with said manufacturing process.

4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the carbon footprint of the metal material shipped within the shipping quota is calculated using information on the carbon footprint of the specific metal resource, assuming that the metal material is manufactured solely from the specific metal resource.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the specific metal resource is electrical component scrap.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of manufacturing processes performed on the electrical component scrap include at least a process of incinerating the electrical component scrap to obtain incinerated ash and a process of crushing the incinerated ash.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the specific metal resource is scrap copper.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the metal material is electrolytic copper.

9. A method for manufacturing the metal material using the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising imparting information of the carbon footprint of the metal material to the metal material.

10. A method for managing the carbon footprint of a metallic material, wherein the metallic material is manufactured using at least a plurality of types of metallic resources as raw materials, and the plurality of manufacturing processes differ depending on the type of metallic resource, the method is carried out by a computer system, the system comprises at least one server and at least one terminal, and the method includes: (1) a step in which the terminal receives information relating to a specific metallic resource among the plurality of types of metallic resources, wherein the specific metallic resource is one of the plurality of types of metallic resources, and the information includes information identifying the type of metallic resource; and (2) a step in which the terminal receives information from the server relating to a shipment quota of the metallic material treated as being manufactured solely from the specific metallic resource, wherein the shipment quota depends on the amount that the specific metallic resource has contributed to, or is expected to contribute to, the manufacture of the metallic material. (3) A method comprising the step of a server performing a process to allocate a carbon footprint calculated as if only the plurality of manufacturing processes performed on the specific metal resource were performed in the process of manufacturing the metal material, when shipping the metal material within the limits of the shipping quota, to the carbon footprint of the metal material.

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