Recycling of tissue residual rolls

Abstract

In a method for recycling residual rolls having a material-carrying core of tubular shape with a hollow centre portion, the core is adapted to carry web material, such as tissue, that is rolled or wound onto the material-carrying core for facilitating handling and transportation of the web material. A device for carrying out this method has means for removing residual material from the core, means for collecting the residual material, and means for inserting residual material into the hollow centre portion of the core. Thereby, the core can be handled and transported with the residual material kept inside the core.

1 . A method for recycling residual rolls, wherein each residual roll comprising a material-carrying core having a tubular shape with a hollow centre portion, wherein said core is adapted to carry web material which is rolled or wound onto the core for facilitating handling and transportation of said web material, the method comprising the steps of:
 removing any residual material left on the core after unwinding,   collecting the residual material, and   inserting collected residual material into the hollow centre portion of the core such that the residual material at least partly fills said hollow centre portion.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sealing the ends of the core. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the core ends are sealed by application of a plastic film and/or by attaching a plug to each end of the core. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein one end of the core is sealed prior to insertion of the residual material such that said residual material is inserted from the other end of the core and pressed against the sealed end, and wherein the second end is sealed after insertion of the residual material. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising shaping the residual material such that it is easily inserted into said hollow centre portion. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the residual material being inserted in the hollow centre portion is from a single residual roll. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the residual material is inserted into the hollow centre portion of a core from which it previously was removed. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the residual material inserted into the hollow centre portion of a core has been removed from another core than the one it is inserted into. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sorting the material removed from the core depending on material type. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the residual material being inserted into said hollow centre portion is from a plurality of rolls all having previously carried the same material type. 
     
     
         11 . A residual roll handling device for recycling residual rolls, wherein each residual roll comprises a material-carrying core having a tubular shape with a hollow centre portion, wherein said core is adapted to carry web material which is rolled or wound onto the core for facilitating handling and transportation of said web material, for carrying out the method of  claim 1 , said device comprising:
 removing means configured to remove any residual material from the core after unwinding;   collecting means configured to collect the removed residual material; and   insertion means configured to insert removed and collected residual material into the hollow centre portion of the core, such that it is at least partially filled with residual material.   
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , further comprising sealing means configured to seal the ends of the core. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein said sealing means comprises a plastic film and/or a plug attached to the associated core end. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein said collecting means is configured to sort the residual material from several residual rolls according to material type to ensure that residual material inserted into each core is from a single material type to facilitate recycling of the residual material. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein said collecting means is configured to shape the residual material such that it can be easily inserted into the hollow centre portion of a core. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein said insertion means comprises an elongated member which is insertable into the hollow core portion of the core and which is configured to perform a reciprocal movement. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said web material is tissue.