Multi-trip Optimization Model for Municipal Solid Waste Collection Systems Under Capacity and Operational Time Constraints

In every municipal solid waste (MSW) management system, waste collection and transportation are the most important parts that must be well designed. This paper presents a methodology that models a multi-trip MSW collection system. The model is developed in three basic steps that involve partitioning of the whole system into groups, solving the optimization models for the collection operations, and the allocation of the vehicles. An application on a hypothetical example illustrated the importance of vehicle capacity for the optimization of the MSW collection system.