Optimal planning of a waste management supply chain

In this paper, a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model for the optimization of a municipal solid waste (MSW) system in a supply chain (SC) network is presented with the aim of maximizing the total net profit over a specified time horizon. The proposed model covers waste collection at sites, separation at dumps, and processing for waste recycling and waste to energy (WtE) production at plants, as well as selling the end products. A case study is illustrated to demonstrate the feature and validity of the model. MSWs including biomass materials such as paper and food waste, non-biomass combustible materials such as plastic, and non-combustible materials such as glass and metal are managed by a combination of disposal in landfill sites, recycling to produce useful products, and incineration to produce power.