Packaging designed to be a fuel component and methods for making and using same

Abstract

Containers for disposal of waste materials, used or unused having desired burn properties. The containers have tailored or engineered properties based on material construction so that they are burnable and alter burn properties of the source materials, used or unused, contained therein. The containers may also include cavities into which accelerants, retarders, combustion aids, fuel value enhancing agents, additives to change an ash composition, other additives or the like are added.

We claim: 
     
       1. A method comprising the steps of:
 supplying an engineered burnable container comprising:
 an interior, 
 a top, 
 a bottom, 
 at least one sidewall, and 
 at least one opening disposed in the top for depositing a source material into the interior of the container, 
 wherein the engineered burnable container has specific container combustion properties and container post-combustion ash properties including at least a container fuel value between 6,000 BTU/lb and 20,000 BTU/lb, a container burn rate, a post-combustion ash composition including post-combustion metal oxide concentrations or mixtures thereof and wherein the container is constructed out of cardboard, a polymer material, a plastic reinforced cardboard, a coated cardboard, or mixtures and combinations thereof, 
 delivering or placing the engineered burnable container or a plurality of the engineered burnable containers to or at a location or locations, wherein a source material is generated or a plurality of source materials are generated wherein the source material is unused pharmaceuticals or expired pharmaceuticals, 
 
 filling the interior of each of the containers with the source material or the source materials to form a filled container or filled containers, 
 retrieving the filled container or the filled containers from the location or the locations,
 transporting the filled container or the filled containers to a processing facility comprising a power plant, a cement plant or a cement kiln, 
 burning the filled container or the filled containers including the engineered burnable container and the source material contained therein as a fuel to generate heat and an ash composition, and 
 if the processing facility is a power plant, then converting a portion of generated heat into a usable form of energy and wherein the filled containers have minimal ash production, or 
 if the processing facility is a cement kiln or cement plant, converting the ash composition into a clinker or cement composition, 
 wherein the source material or the source materials have combustion properties and post-combustion ash properties, wherein each filled container has specific combustion properties and post-combustion ash properties including at least a filled container fuel value, a filled container burn rate, and a filled container resulting ash composition, which have been adjusted, altered, modified, and/or augmented by the engineered burnable container combustion properties and/or the engineered burnable container post-combustion ash properties. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method  1 , further comprising the steps of:
 post-processing the filled container or the filled containers to alter combustion properties and post-combustion ash properties of the filled containers. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the post-processing step comprises:
 coating the filled container or the filled containers with a coating selected from the group consisting of a water proof coating, a water resistant coating, a solvent resistant coating, a hermetic sealing coating, a gas tight coating, a gas barrier coating, a puncture resistant coating, or a combination of these coatings. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the post-processing step comprises:
 adding components or fillers to the filled container or the filled containers to alter combustion properties and post-combustion ash properties of the filled container or the filled containers. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein, in the supplying step, the container has a shape selected from the group consisting of a rectangular solid, a spherical solid, an ellipsoidal solid, a cylindrical solid, a toroidal solid, and other solid geometrical shape. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein, in the supplying, the container further comprises:
 an exterior coating selected from the group consisting of a water proof coating, a water resistant coating, a solvent resistant coating, a hermetic sealing coating, a gas tight coating, a gas barrier coating, a puncture resistant coating, and a combination of these coatings. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein, in the supplying step, the top, bottom and at least one side wall of the container comprises a multi-layered construction of material to alter the combustion or post-combustion ash properties of the container. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein, in the supplying step, the container further comprises:
 a slot or plurality of pockets, where the slot is adapted to be filled with a compound or the pockets are adapted to be filled with a plurality of compounds to alter the combustion and post-combustion ash properties of the container. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein, in the supplying step, the container further comprises:
 a lid for sealing the container and closing access to the at least one opening, where the lid fits onto the top. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein, in the supplying step, the lid includes adhesive region so that the lid bonds or seals to the top and/or the at least one sidewall of the container. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein, in the supplying step, the container further comprises:
 a closing member associated with the top for closing the opening once the container has been filled with a source material or a plurality of source materials. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein, in the supplying step, the container further comprises:
 a liner disposed within an interior of the container. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein, in the supplying step, the container further comprises:
 a receptacle including an opening disposed within an interior of the container so that the container opening and the receptacle opening are aligned. 
 
     
     
       14. A method comprising the steps of:
 supplying an engineered burnable container, the engineered burnable container having specific container combustion properties and container post-combustion ash properties including a container fuel value between 6,000 BTU/lb and 20,000 BTU/lb, a container burn rate, and a container post-combustion ash composition including post-combustion metal oxide concentrations and wherein the engineered burnable container is constructed out of cardboard, a polymer material, a plastic reinforced cardboard, a coated cardboard, or mixtures and combinations thereof,   delivering or placing the engineered burnable container to or at a location, wherein a source material is generated wherein the source material is unused harmaceuticals or expired pharmaceuticals,   receiving within the burnable container the source material to form a filled container, wherein the source material has combustion properties and post-combustion ash properties including a source fuel value, a source burn rate, and a source post-combustion ash composition including post-combustion metal oxide concentrations,   wherein each filled container has specific combustion properties and post-combustion ash properties including at least a filled container fuel value, a filled container burn rate, and a filled container resulting ash composition, which have been adjusted, altered, modified, or augmented by the container combustion properties or the container post-combustion ash properties,   retrieving the filled container from the location,   transporting the filled container to a power plant, a cement plant, or a cement kiln,   burning the filled container at the power plant, the cement plant, or the cement kiln as a fuel to generate heat and an ash composition, and   when burning the filled container at a power plant, converting a portion of generated heat into a usable form of energy and wherein the filled containers have minimal ash production, or   when burning the filled container at a cement kiln or cement plant, converting the ash composition into a clinker or cement composition.    
     
     
       15. The method of claim 14, wherein when the engineered burnable container is to be burned at a power plant, the engineered burnable container does not include polyvinyl chloride.  
     
     
       16. The method of claim 14, wherein when the engineered burnable container is to be burned at a cement kiln or cement plant, the engineered burnable container includes one or more of silicon, silica, calcium containing compounds, aluminum, aluminum containing compounds, iron, iron alloys, and iron containing compounds.  
     
     
       17. The method of claim 14, wherein when the engineered burnable container is to be burned at a power plant, the engineered burnable container includes a hydrogel, an ionomer, a polyacrylate, a polyacrylamide, or a combination thereof.  
     
     
       18. The method of claim 14, wherein when the engineered burnable container is to be burned at a cement kiln or cement plan, the engineered burnable container includes metal oxides or metal salts.  
     
     
       19. The method of claim 14, wherein the engineered burnable container is coated, sprayed, dipped, or wrapped by a fuel value augmenting material, coating material, or ash composition material. 
     
     
       20. The method of claim 14, wherein the engineered burnable container has sidewalls and a liner having a container fuel value, a container burn rate, or a post-combustion ash composition different from the sidewalls of the engineered burnable container.