The impact of sustainable supply chain on waste-to-energy operations

This paper addresses the optimal planning of an integrated supply chain (SC) network for waste-to-energy (WtE) systems. A mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model is presented, which simultaneously considers the tactical and operational decisions related to transportation, inventory, production, and distribution. The objective of the proposed model is to find a balance between SC costs, waste reduction, and using the generated waste efficiently. It also ensures environmental sustainability in the operations of WtE systems and continuous feedstock supply. The considered waste type is combustible non-biodegradable municipal solid waste (MSW) with low moisture content, and the employed technologies are pyrolysis, gasification, and combined heat and power (CHP) to produce electricity and heat. The proposed MILP model is formulated and solved using GAMS/CPLEX.