Optimization in Waste Collection to Reach Sustainable Waste Management

Abstract

This chapter focuses on one of the most used OR techniques which is optimization with linear programming modeling. This technique suits many problems faced when designing and operating a sustainable solid waste system. Single and multiple objective problems will be presented, and some OR special problems will be described with detail (the traveling salesman problem, the vehicle routing problem, the Chinese postman problem, the transportation problem, and the location problem). These problems appear in communal site collection and container collection, curbside collection, and location of containers or landfills, to name a few. Since in real-world problems, decision-makers pursue conflicting goals, strategies to deal with such issues are also presented. Several case studies are described, providing a deeper understanding of the applicability of such techniques.