Solid waste allocation management based on optimization techniques

Abstract

A good municipal solid waste (MSW) management plan is needed to ensure that the communities can have a high standard of living. An effective and sustainable MSW management plan goes a long way in keeping the public area clean. However there are many uncertainties involved and these unknown parameters make formulating a reliable MSW management plan hard. A chance constraint programming (CCP) model was developed in this study and its aim is to estimate the system cost of a MSW management plan as accurately as possible. It is then compared to the deterministic model. The CCP model was used on Foshan, China, which is the case study of this report. The CCP model is used to calculate the operational cost of the transfer stations, used to determine the expansion of a facility and used to calculate the overall system cost. Scenario 2, which is the most feasible option, is recommended. A chance constrained interval linear programming (CCILP), combination of both CCP and interval linear programming (ILP), is suggested for further study. It will enable Foshan planners to solve the overall system cost against risk level by using certain interval solutions which is coupled with different constraints and violations. Lastly, the results derived in this study seek to provide Foshan planners with the necessary information to make the best decision in terms of economic and environmental growth.