A Model for the Optimal Allocation of Trucks for Solid Waste Management

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Abstract
Solid waste collection and disposal costs constitute 75-80% of a city's solid waste management budget. Therefore, even a small improvement in the waste collection and transfer operations can lead to significant savings in costs. Trucks collect refuse from different parts of cities and transport to incinerators, landfills and transfer stations. These trucks spend a considerable amount of time travelling and waiting at disposal sites which could otherwise have been used for refuse collection. In this paper, a simulation-optimization model is described that helps to allocate trucks to disposal sites so as to reduce travelling and waiting time costs. This model can help city administrators to make long-term decisions relating to the number, capacities, and locations of waste disposal sites, routing of trucks, crew sizes etc. This model can also be of significant use to make short-term operational decisions, including those relating to diversion of trucks if their normal disposal site is not operational.