EP4677517A1 - Container lending management system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for administrating deposits. Some embodiments of the methods comprise identifying a container having a paid deposit of a deposit amount; receiving the container ID and a claimer account ID from a claimer device; receiving the container ID and one or more facilitator account IDs from a corresponding number of facilitator devices; receiving the container ID and a recovery notification from a recovery device; determining a claimer payment, and one or more facilitator payments associated with a corresponding one or more of the facilitator account IDs; and settling the claimer payment and the facilitator payments.

Description

CONTAINER LENDING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD

Cross-Reference to Related Applications

[0001] This application claims priority from application No. 63/449,849, filed 3 March 2023. For purposes of the United States, this application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119 of application No. 63/449,849, filed 3 March 2023, and entitled CONTAINER LENDING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD which is hereby incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for administrating deposits. More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to methods and systems for administrating deposits for reusable food and beverage containers.

Background

[0003] Use of single-use containers, and in particular single-use food and beverage containers, have proliferated. However, there are many real costs and negative externalities to the manufacture, use, and disposal of single-use containers.

[0004] Many single-use containers cannot be recycled, or are exceedingly costly to recycle, due to their construction and/or composite materials. For example, a single-use beverage cup may comprise plastic-coated paperboard. Because plastic and paperboard require different recycling methods, neither the plastic nor the paperboard may be recycled when mixed in a plastic -coated paperboard cup. As another example, many types of plastic and plastic foam are more expensive to recycle than to manufacture new, in part due to the high collection and transportation costs.

[0005] In addition to the technical and economic limitations to recycling certain single-use containers, certain types of recycling may have greater environmental costs than manufacturing new single-use containers. For example, manufacturing new plastic and/or plastic foam containers may generate less greenhouse gases than collecting, transporting, recycling, and redistributing used plastic and/or plastic foam containers. [0006] Reusable containers can be used instead of single-use containers. However, the cost of manufacturing and distributing reusable containers may be much greater than the cost of manufacturing and distributing single-use containers. As such, one barrier to adoption of reusable containers is the additional cost of reusable containers.

[0007] Given the reusable nature of a reusable container, the entire cost of the container need not be paid by the user, because the container is not consumed upon its use by the user. As such, instead of charging the user the entire cost of the reusable container, a deposit holder may charge the user a deposit for use of the container. The deposit holder may then return the despot to the user upon return of the container to the deposit holder.

[0008] Such deposit systems have been used for some types of reusable and recyclable containers, for example glass bottles and aluminum cans. However, such systems attach the return of the deposit to the return of the container because the container itself, and in some cases merely the material of which the container is made, contains the entire value of the deposit. As such, it is not necessary to track the purchaser of the container, as return of the deposit may be attached to the physical return of the container.

[0009] Where a container does not have value in itself that can be exchanged for a deposit, some other method of tracking deposit returns is necessary. However, many of these methods require a user create an account to track returns in order to associate the container and/or the deposit with the user, so the deposit may later be refunded to the user, or a fee charged to the user if the container is not returned.

[0010] Requiring a user to create a user account to charge a fee for an unreturned container creates a barrier to adoption of reusable containers over single-use containers.

[0011] There is a general desire for an improved system and method for managing the lending of containers. There is also a general desire for a system and method for lending of containers that does not require users to have an account prior to borrowing a container.

[0012] The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related thereto are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings. Summary

[0013] Further aspects and example embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and/or described in the following description.

[0014] One aspect of the invention provides a method for administrating a container deposit with a container management system, the method comprising: identifying a container having a container ID as having a paid deposit of a deposit amount; receiving the container ID and a claimer account ID from a claimer device; associating the container ID with the claimer account ID; receiving the container ID and one or more facilitator account IDs from a corresponding number of facilitator devices; associating each of the facilitator account IDs with the container ID; receiving the container ID and a recovery notification from a recovery device; determining a claimer payment, and one or more facilitator payments associated with a corresponding one or more of the facilitator account IDs; settling the claimer payment to a claimer account associated with the claimer account ID; and settling the facilitator payments to a corresponding number of facilitator accounts, wherein each of the facilitator accounts are associated with one of the facilitator account IDs.

[0015] In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above, further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the drawings and by study of the following detailed descriptions.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] The accompanying drawings illustrate non-limiting example embodiments of the invention.

[0017] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a container management system and associated devices for administrating a container deposit, according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of a method for administrating a container deposit paid for a container, according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a method for a managing deposit for a container according to an example embodiment of the present invention. Description

[0020] Throughout the following description specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding to persons skilled in the art. However, well known elements may not have been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the disclosure. Accordingly, the description and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative, rather than a restrictive, sense.

[0021] Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for administrating a container deposit with a container management system. The container deposit is paid by one or more parties for use of a reusable container. The container deposit is associated with the container, and returned to a claimer and one or more facilitators when the associated container is successfully returned in useable condition.

[0022] The claimer is the primary party who claims the deposit for the container. In some embodiments, the claimer may be the end user of the reusable container, for example a person who drinks a beverage served in a reusable beverage container. In such embodiments, the claimer may pay the vendor of the beverage for the beverage, and for the deposit on the beverage container. The claimer may then consumer the beverage in the beverage container and claim the deposit on the beverage container. Once the beverage container is successfully returned, the deposit the claimer paid to the vendor is then fully or partially returned to the claimer by the container management system.

[0023] The facilitators are parties who facilitate the successful return of the container. For example, one or more of:

• a vendor who provides the container to the claimer;

• a party that manages a return receptacle for the container;

• a party who transports the container to a return depot; and

• a party who operates a return depot for receiving, washing, and/or redistributing the container.

[0024] Successful return of a container may comprise receiving the container at a trusted facility, and confirming the container is in reusable condition. A trusted facility may be a facility operated by the same party as operates the container management system, or a third party authorized by the party that operates the container management system. Confirming the container is in reusable condition may comprise one or more of: • confirming all parts of the container have been received, for example both a body and a lid of the container have been received;

• confirming all parts of the container are undamaged, including any parts that operate together remain operable, such as a lid of the container snuggly fitting a body of the container; and/or

• confirming all parts of the container can be cleaned sufficiently for reuse, for example all parts are unstained and odorless after cleaning.

[0025] In some embodiments, the deposit may be refunded before the container is received at the trusted facility and confirmed to be in reusable condition. For example, the deposit may be refunding upon receiving a confirmation that the container has been received by a recovery device, for example a return bin. By processing the deposit upon receipt of the container by the recovery device, the deposit may be returned faster than if the deposit is returned upon receipt of the container at the trusted facility and confirmation that the container is in reusable condition.

[0026] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of container management system 100 and associated devices for administrating a container deposit, wherein system 100 is in communication with claimer device 10, one or more facilitator devices 14-1 to 14-N (collectively, facilitator devices 14) where N is the number of facilitator devices, recovery device 22, and optional depositor device 18. Claimer device 10 is associated with and operated by claimer 12, depositor device 18 is associated with and operated by depositor 20, and each of facilitator devices 14-1 to 14-N are associated with and operated by a one of respective facilitators 16-1 to 16-N (collectively, facilitators 16). System 100 is in communication with claimer device 10, recovery device 22, depositor device 18 (when present) and facilitator devices 14 via communication network 24, for example by the internet.

[0027] System 100 sends and receives information to and from claimer device 10, facilitator devices 14, recovery device 22, and depositor device 18 (when present) to perform one or more methods for administrating a container deposit. For example, system 100 may perform one or more methods for:

• distributing, lending, tracking, collecting, cleaning, and/or packaging one or more containers having associated container deposits; • managing the lifecycle of one or more containers, for example tracking containers from production through to disposal; and/or

• managing deposits for one or more containers, including receiving, storing, and refunding deposits.

[0028] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of method 201 for administrating a container deposit paid for container 30, according to an example embodiment of the present invention. A paid deposit 32 is identified for container 30, and returned to claimer 12 and facilitators 14 upon receipt of container 30 by recovery device 22.

[0029] Method 201 comprises:

• step 202, identifying container 30 having container ID 34 as having paid deposit 32 of a deposit amount;

• step 204, receiving container ID 34 and claimer account ID 36 from claimer device 10;

• step 206, associating container ID 34 with claimer account ID;

• step 208, receiving container ID 34 and one or more facilitator account IDs 38 from corresponding number of facilitator devices 14;

• step 210, associating each of facilitator account IDs 38 with container ID 34;

• step 212, receiving container ID 34 and recovery notification 40 from recovery device 22;

• step 214, determining claimer payment 42, and one or more facilitator payments 44 associated with a corresponding one or more of facilitator account IDs 38;

• step 216, settling claimer payment 42 to a claimer account associated with claimer account ID 36; and

• step 218, settling facilitator payments 44 to a corresponding number of facilitator accounts, wherein each of the facilitator accounts are associated with one of facilitator account IDs 38.

[0030] Step 202 may comprise: receiving the container ID from a depositor device; retrieving the deposit amount corresponding to the container ID from a database of container IDs and corresponding deposit amounts; sending the deposit amount to the depositor device; and receiving a deposit payment confirmation for the deposit amount. [0031] Step 214 may comprise determining the claimer payment and the facilitator payments based at least in part on one or more of: the number of facilitator IDs, the deposit amount, an amount of time between receiving the container ID from the claimer device and receiving the container ID from the recovery device, and an amount of time between receiving the container ID from one of the facilitator devices and receiving the container ID from the recovery device.

[0032] In some embodiments, a sum of the claimer payment and the facilitator payments is less than or equal to the deposit amount.

[0033] Step 214 may comprise: retrieving historic container return data from a database; and determining the claimer payment and the facilitator payments based at least in part on the historic container return data.

[0034] Method 201 may further comprise determining the deposit amount. For example, determining the deposit amount by: retrieving historic container return data from a database; and determining the deposit amount based at least in part on the historic container return data. The deposit amount may be based at least in part on the target return rate, wherein the target return rate represents a percentage of successfully returned containers.

[0035] Step 216 may comprise crediting the claimer account the claimer payment, and step 218 may comprise crediting each of the facilitator accounts the one of the facilitator payments.

[0036] Method 201 may further comprise crediting an incentive amount, for example crediting one or more of the claimer account and the facilitator accounts an incentive credit. The incentive credit may include one or more of: an amount of fiat currency; an amount of reward points; an amount of carbon credits; an amount of crypto currency; and a chance to be awarded a reward.

[0037] Method 201 may include determining the incentive amount and the incentive credits, for example by: retrieving historic container return data from a database; and determining one or more of the claimer incentive credit and the facilitator incentive credits based at least in part on the historic container return data.

[0038] Some embodiments of method 201 may comprise not refunding a deposit to an ineligible account. For example, receiving the container ID and an ineligible account ID from an ineligible device; determining the ineligible account ID is ineligible for any payment; and sending a payment ineligibility notification to the ineligible device.

[0039] Determining the ineligible account ID is ineligible for any payment comprises one of: • receiving the container ID and the ineligible account ID from the ineligible device before identifying the container having the container ID as having the deposit of the deposit amount;

• receiving the container ID and the ineligible account ID from the ineligible device after receiving the recovery notification from the recovery device; and

• receiving the container ID and the ineligible account ID from the ineligible device after settling the claimer payment and settling the facilitator payments.

[0040] In some embodiments, the container ID and the one or more facilitator IDs are received from the corresponding number of facilitator devices before the container ID and the claimer account ID is received from the claimer device.

[0041] Some embodiments of method 201 may comprise reversing a deposit return, where the deposit return is later identified as having been returned on an ineligible container. For example, receiving a failed recovery notification; reversing the settlement of the claimer payment; and reversing the settlement of each of the facilitator payments.

[0042] The claimer account may comprise a claimer credit account; settling the claimer payment comprises crediting the claimer payment to claimer credit account; and reversing the settlement of the claimer payment comprises debiting the claimer payment to the claimer credit account. In some embodiments, a second claimer account is debited the claimer credit account.

[0043] At least one of the facilitator accounts comprises a facilitator credit account; settling the facilitator payments comprises crediting the corresponding one of the facilitator payments to the facilitator credit account; and reversing the settlement of the facilitator payments comprises debiting the corresponding one of the facilitator payments to the facilitator credit account. In some embodiments, a second facilitator account is debited the facilitator credit account.

[0044] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of method 301 for managing deposit 32 for container 30 according to an example embodiment of the present invention, wherein deposit 32 is received from depositor 20 via depositor device 18, and deposit 32 is partially refunded to claimer 12 via claimer device 10, and partially refunded to one or more of facilitators 16 via facilitator devices 14.

[0045] Method 301 comprises:

• step 302, generating container ID 34 for container 30; • step 304, receiving deposit 32 from depositor device 18;

• step 306, associating deposit 32 with container ID 34;

• step 308, receiving container ID 34 from claimer device 10;

• step 310, associating container ID 34 with claimer 12;

• step 312, receiving container ID 34 from N facilitator devices 14, where N is one or more;

• step 314, associating container ID 34 with the N facilitator devices 14;

• step 316, receiving confirmation 54 container 30 with container ID 34 has been returned;

• step 318, determining N+1 deposit portions 50 of deposit 32, wherein each of deposit portions 50 is associated with one of claimer device 10 and facilitator devices 14, and each of the deposit portions 50 are determined based at least in part on: o the amount of deposit 32; o the number N; and o incentive scheme 52;

• step 320, refunding each of deposit portions 50 to the associated one of facilitator devices 14and facilitator devices 14.

[0046] In one or more embodiments of method 301 , incentive scheme 50 may comprise one or more of:

• an equal distribution scheme, wherein determining each of deposit portions 50 comprises dividing the amount of deposit 32 by (N+1);

• a weighted distribution scheme, wherein determining each of deposit portions 50 comprises dividing the amount of deposit 32 by a factor greater (N+1), and assigning a greater portion of deposit 32 to one or more of claimer 12 and facilitators 16 than to another one or more of claimer 12 and facilitators 16; and

• the like.

[0047] While a number of exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those of skill in the art will recognize certain modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations thereof. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims and claims hereafter introduced are interpreted to include all such modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations as are consistent with the broadest interpretation of the specification as a whole.

Some Embodiments

[0048] In one or more embodiments of the present invention:

• claimer device 10 comprises one or more of: a handheld scanner, a mobile device such as a smartphone, a personal computer, and the like;

• depositor device 18 comprises one or more of: a point-of-sale (POS) device such as a POS terminal, a handheld scanner, a mobile device such as a smartphone, a personal computer, and the like;

• one or more of facilitator devices 14 comprise one or more of: a point-of-sale (POS) device such as a POS terminal, a handheld scanner, a mobile device such as a smartphone, a personal computer, and the like; and

• recovery device 22 comprises one or more of: a container receptacle, a point-of-sale (POS) device such as a POS terminal, a handheld scanner, a mobile device such as a smartphone, a personal computer, and the like.

[0049] Where a container is described as having an associated container ID, the container ID may be reused among multiple lending of the container, or generated for each lending of the container.

[0050] In some embodiments of methods 201 and 301 , step 212 and/or step 316 may be performed by:

• system 100 generating confirmation 54 and/or notification 40, for example by system 100 comprising a scanning receptacle, and the scanning receptacle scanning a tag on container 30 containing container ID 34; or

• receiving confirmation 54 and/or notification 40 from one of facilitator devices 14.

[0051] In some embodiments, a container may be scanned when the container is deposited in a return receptacle. The container may then be scanned again when the receptacle is emptied, for example by system 100, or one or more of facilitators 14. The second scanning of the container may be used to verify the first scanning of the container, being that the container was successfully deposited in the receptacle. [0052] Where a deposit is referred to as being received from depositor 20 via depositor device 18, or any other device or party referred to herein, the deposit may be received by receiving a confirmation that an interest in some item of value has been assigned to the recipient, for example:

• an amount of currency has been transferred to an account owned by the recipient;

• an amount of credit has been assigned to the recipient, for example a loan or mortgage has been assigned to the recipient; and/or

• full or fractional ownership of a non-fungible token has been assigned to the recipient, for example a crypto-currency such as Bitcoin™.

[0053] One or more of claimer 12, depositor 20, and facilitators 16, may be referred to herein as a user. One or more of claimer device 10, depositor device 18, and facilitator devices 16, may be referred to herein as a user device.

[0054] Where a deposit is referred to as being refunded to a user via a user device, or any other device or party referred to herein, the deposit may be refunded by:

• receiving a confirmation that an interest in some token of value has been assigned to the recipient, for example:

• an amount of currency has been transferred to an account owned by the recipient;

• an amount of credit previously assigned by the recipient, for example a loan or mortgage, has been released by the credit holder; and/or

• full or fractional ownership of a non-fungible token has been assigned to the recipient, for example a crypto-currency such as Bitcoin™; and/or

• receiving a confirmation that a hold has been released and a charge forgone, for example releasing a credit-hold on a credit card.

[0055] The systems and/or methods disclosed herein may provide one or more advantages over other systems and/or methods, for example one or more of:

• collecting a deposit for a container from a user or other party without having any unique identifier for the user, for example: a user account associated with the user, a user ID associated with the user, or an application installed on a user device associated with the user, for example a mobile app installed on a mobile device associated with the user, and the like; refunding a deposit for a container to a user without having any unique identifier for the user such as those described above;

• refunding a deposit for a container to a user by receiving only a container ID associated with the container, and a single unique identifier for the user, wherein the unique identifier may comprise one of:

• a credit card number;

• a phone number;

• an email address;

• a physical address;

• a user account ID, for example an Apple™ ID or a Google™ Account; or

• an address for a non-fungible token, for example a Bitcoin™ address.

• refunding a deposit for a container to a user by the user operating a website on any website capable device, not necessarily a device associated with the user;

• the user device providing the container ID to the system may comprise the user device reading a URL encoded in a QR Code™, opening a web browser running on the user device, and navigating to the URL in a single action, without the user independently providing a command to the web browser;

• the container ID is contained in a URL, and the URL is encoded in an electronically readable tag, for example: a bar code, a QR Code™, an RFID tag, an NFC chip, a 2D code, and the like;

• a receptacle ID is contained in a URL, and the URL is encoded in an electronically readable tag, for example: a bar code, a QR Code™, an RFID tag, and the like;

• the user requires no information on retailers or return locations to pay a deposit on a container or return a container and receive a refund for the deposit;

• refunding a deposit for a container to a user by receiving a user ID, a container ID and a receptacle ID, wherein the user ID, the receptacle ID and the container ID are contained in a URL; • receptacles comprising an electronically readable tag, for example: a bar code, a QR Code™, an RFID tag, and the like, wherein the receptacle requires no other electronic features or electric power;

• refunding a deposit to a user when the associated item is scanned by the system;

• refunding different portions of a deposit for a container to a user depending on one more factors, for example:

• where the user returns the container, for example different types or locations of receptacles may provide different portions of the deposit to the user;

• how the user returns the container, for example returning the container themselves may provide a different portion of the deposit to the user than the user using a third party service to return the container;

• when a container is returned to a receptacle, that container may no longer be eligible for claiming a refund of a deposit;

• refunding a portion of a deposit for a container to one or more third parties, for example another user, and/or a collection/return service;

• refunding a container at certain receptacles which may provide a refund of the deposit to the returner, for example a reverse-vending machine wherein the user places a container in the machine, and the machine provides the refund to the user without needing the user to provide any information, for example by refunding the user in cash, or with a unique code redeemable for cash or other currency;

• deposits may be provided immediately upon returning a container to a receptacle by the user providing collateral, for example a credit card number in the case that the container is later determined to be ineligible for a deposit, for example because the container is damaged; and/or

• the deposit may be collected from and/or returned to third party programs, for example retailer specific credit programs and loyalty programs.

Interpretation of Terms

[0056] Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims: • “comprise”, “comprising”, and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense, as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to”;

• “connected”, “coupled”, or any variant thereof, means any connection or coupling, either direct or indirect, between two or more elements; the coupling or connection between the elements can be physical, logical, or a combination thereof;

• “herein”, “above”, “below”, and words of similar import, when used to describe this specification, shall refer to this specification as a whole, and not to any particular portions of this specification;

• “or”, in reference to a list of two or more items, covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and any combination of the items in the list;

• the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” also include the meaning of any appropriate plural forms.

[0057] Words that indicate directions such as “vertical”, “transverse”, “horizontal”, “upward”, “downward”, “forward”, “backward”, “inward”, “outward”, “vertical”, “transverse”, “left”, “right”, “front”, “back”, “top”, “bottom”, “below”, “above”, “under”, and the like, used in this description and any accompanying claims (where present), depend on the specific orientation of the apparatus described and illustrated. The subject matter described herein may assume various alternative orientations. Accordingly, these directional terms are not strictly defined and should not be interpreted narrowly.

[0058] Embodiments of the invention may be implemented using specifically designed hardware, configurable hardware, programmable data processors configured by the provision of software (which may optionally comprise “firmware”) capable of executing on the data processors, special purpose computers or data processors that are specifically programmed, configured, or constructed to perform one or more steps in a method as explained in detail herein and/or combinations of two or more of these. Examples of specifically designed hardware are: logic circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (“ASICs”), large scale integrated circuits (“LSIs”), very large scale integrated circuits (“VLSIs”), and the like. Examples of configurable hardware are: one or more programmable logic devices such as programmable array logic (“PALs”), programmable logic arrays (“PLAs”), and field programmable gate arrays (“FPGAs”)). Examples of programmable data processors are: microprocessors, digital signal processors (“DSPs”), embedded processors, graphics processors, math co-processors, general purpose computers, server computers, cloud computers, mainframe computers, computer workstations, and the like. For example, one or more data processors in a control circuit for a device may implement methods as described herein by executing software instructions in a program memory accessible to the processors.

[0059] Processing may be centralized or distributed. Where processing is distributed, information including software and/or data may be kept centrally or distributed. Such information may be exchanged between different functional units by way of a communications network, such as a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), or the Internet, wired or wireless data links, electromagnetic signals, or other data communication channel.

[0060] For example, while processes or blocks are presented in a given order, alternative examples may perform routines having steps, or employ systems having blocks, in a different order, and some processes or blocks may be deleted, moved, added, subdivided, combined, and/or modified to provide alternative or subcombinations. Each of these processes or blocks may be implemented in a variety of different ways. Also, while processes or blocks are at times shown as being performed in series, these processes or blocks may instead be performed in parallel, or may be performed at different times.

In addition, while elements are at times shown as being performed sequentially, they may instead be performed simultaneously or in different sequences. It is therefore intended that the following claims are interpreted to include all such variations as are within their intended scope.

[0061] Software and other modules may reside on servers, workstations, personal computers, tablet computers, image data encoders, image data decoders, PDAs, colorgrading tools, video projectors, audio-visual receivers, displays (such as televisions), digital cinema projectors, media players, and other devices suitable for the purposes described herein. Those skilled in the relevant art will appreciate that aspects of the system can be practised with other communications, data processing, or computer system configurations, including: Internet appliances, hand-held devices (including personal digital assistants (PDAs)), wearable computers, all manner of cellular or mobile phones, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics (e.g., video projectors, audio-visual receivers, displays, such as televisions, and the like), set-top boxes, color-grading tools, network PCs, mini-computers, mainframe computers, and the like.

[0062] The invention may also be provided in the form of a program product. The program product may comprise any non-transitory medium which carries a set of computer-readable instructions which, when executed by a data processor, cause the data processor to execute a method of the invention. Program products according to the invention may be in any of a wide variety of forms. The program product may comprise, for example, non- transitory media such as magnetic data storage media including floppy diskettes, hard disk drives, optical data storage media including CD ROMs, DVDs, electronic data storage media including ROMs, flash RAM, EPROMs, hardwired or preprogrammed chips (e.g., EEPROM semiconductor chips), nanotechnology memory, or the like. The computer- readable signals on the program product may optionally be compressed or encrypted.

[0063] In some embodiments, the invention may be implemented in software. For greater clarity, “software” includes any instructions executed on a processor, and may include (but is not limited to) firmware, resident software, microcode, and the like. Both processing hardware and software may be centralized or distributed (or a combination thereof), in whole or in part, as known to those skilled in the art. For example, software and other modules may be accessible via local memory, via a network, via a browser or other application in a distributed computing context, or via other means suitable for the purposes described above.

[0064] Where a component (e.g. a software module, processor, assembly, device, circuit, etc.) is referred to above, unless otherwise indicated, reference to that component (including a reference to a “means”) should be interpreted as including as equivalents of that component any component which performs the function of the described component (i.e. , that is functionally equivalent), including components which are not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the illustrated exemplary embodiments of the invention.

[0065] Specific examples of systems, methods and apparatus have been described herein for purposes of illustration. These are only examples. The technology provided herein can be applied to systems other than the example systems described above. Many alterations, modifications, additions, omissions, and permutations are possible within the practice of this invention. This invention includes variations on described embodiments that would be apparent to the skilled addressee, including variations obtained by: replacing features, elements and/or acts with equivalent features, elements and/or acts; mixing and matching of features, elements and/or acts from different embodiments; combining features, elements and/or acts from embodiments as described herein with features, elements and/or acts of other technology; and/or omitting combining features, elements and/or acts from described embodiments.

[0066] Various features are described herein as being present in “some embodiments”. Such features are not mandatory and may not be present in all embodiments. Embodiments of the invention may include zero, any one or any combination of two or more of such features. This is limited only to the extent that certain ones of such features are incompatible with other ones of such features in the sense that it would be impossible for a person of ordinary skill in the art to construct a practical embodiment that combines such incompatible features. Consequently, the description that “some embodiments” possess feature A and “some embodiments” possess feature B should be interpreted as an express indication that the inventors also contemplate embodiments which combine features A and B (unless the description states otherwise or features A and B are fundamentally incompatible).

[0067] It is therefore intended that the following appended claims and claims hereafter introduced are interpreted to include all such modifications, permutations, additions, omissions, and sub-combinations as may reasonably be inferred. The scope of the claims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments set forth in the examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole.

Claims

1 . A method for administrating a container deposit with a container management system, the method comprising: identifying a container having a container ID as having a paid deposit of a deposit amount; receiving the container ID and a claimer account ID from a claimer device; associating the container ID with the claimer account ID; receiving the container ID and one or more facilitator account IDs from a corresponding number of facilitator devices; associating each of the facilitator account IDs with the container ID; receiving the container ID and a recovery notification from a recovery device; determining a claimer payment, and one or more facilitator payments associated with a corresponding one or more of the facilitator account IDs; settling the claimer payment to a claimer account associated with the claimer account ID; and settling the facilitator payments to a corresponding number of facilitator accounts, wherein each of the facilitator accounts are associated with one of the facilitator account IDs.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein identifying the container having the container ID as having the paid deposit of the deposit amount comprises: receiving the container ID from a depositor device; retrieving the deposit amount corresponding to the container ID from a database of container IDs and corresponding deposit amounts; sending the deposit amount to the depositor device; and receiving a deposit payment confirmation for the deposit amount.

3. The method according to either of claims 1 and 2, wherein determining the claimer payment and the facilitator payments comprises determining the claimer payment and the facilitator payments based at least in part on one or more of: the number of facilitator IDs, the deposit amount, an amount of time between receiving the container ID from the claimer device and receiving the container ID from the recovery device, and an amount of time between receiving the container ID from one of the facilitator devices and receiving the container ID from the recovery device.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a sum of the claimer payment and the facilitator payments equals the deposit amount.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a sum of the claimer payment and the facilitator payments is less then the deposit amount.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein determining the claimer payment and the facilitator payments comprises: retrieving historic container return data from a database; and determining the claimer payment and the facilitator payments based at least in part on the historic container return data.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising determining the deposit amount.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein determining the deposit amount comprises: retrieving historic container return data from a database; and determining the deposit amount based at least in part on the historic container return data.

9. The method according to either of claims 7 and 8, wherein determining the deposit amount comprises determining the deposit amount based at least in part on the target return rate.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: settling the claimer payment comprises crediting the claimer account the claimer payment; and settling each of the facilitator payments comprises crediting each of the facilitator accounts the one of the facilitator payments.

11 . The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising crediting the claimer account a claimer incentive credit.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 , further comprising crediting one or more of the facilitator accounts one or more corresponding facilitator incentive credits.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein one or more of the claimer incentive credit and the facilitator incentive credits comprise one or more of: an amount of fiat currency; an amount of reward points; an amount of carbon credits; an amount of crypto currency; and a chance to be awarded a reward.

14. The method according to either of claims 12 and 13, wherein determining one or more of the claimer incentive credit and the facilitator incentive credits comprises: retrieving historic container return data from a database; and determining one or more of the claimer incentive credit and the facilitator incentive credits based at least in part on the historic container return data.

15. The method according to any one of claim 1 to 14, further comprising: receiving the container ID and an ineligible account ID from an ineligible device; determining the ineligible account ID is ineligible for any payment; and sending a payment ineligibility notification to the ineligible device.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein determining the ineligible account ID is ineligible for any payment comprises one of: receiving the container ID and the ineligible account ID from the ineligible device before identifying the container having the container ID as having the deposit of the deposit amount; receiving the container ID and the ineligible account ID from the ineligible device after receiving the recovery notification from the recovery device; and receiving the container ID and the ineligible account ID from the ineligible device after settling the claimer payment and settling the facilitator payments.

17. The method according to any one of claim 1 to 16, wherein the container ID and the one or more facilitator IDs are received from the corresponding number of facilitator devices before the container ID and the claimer account ID is received from the claimer device.

18. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 17, further comprising: receiving a failed recovery notification; reversing the settlement of the claimer payment; and reversing the settlement of each of the facilitator payments.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising receiving a claimer credit account ID, and wherein reversing the settlement of the claimer payment comprises debiting the claimer payment to a claimer credit account associated with the claimer credit account ID.

20. The method according to either of claims 18 and 19, further comprising a facilitator credit account ID associated with one of the facilitators, and reversing the settlement of the facilitator payments comprises debiting a facilitator credit account associated with the facilitator credit account ID .