Optimization of waste collection through the sequencing of micro-routes and transfer station convenience analysis: an Argentinian case study

Abstract

Municipal solid waste management is a paramount activity in modern cities due to the environmental, social and economic problems that can arise when mishandled. In this work, the sequencing of micro-routes in the Argentine city of Bah\'ia Blanca is addressed, which is modeled as a vehicle routing problem with travel time limit and the vehicle's capacity. Particularly, we propose two mathematical formulations based on mixed-integer programming and we solve a set of instances of the city of Bah\'ia Blanca based on real data. Moreover, with this model we estimate the total distance and travel time of the waste collection and use this data to analyze the possibility of installing a transfer station. The results demonstrate the competitiveness of the approach to resolve realistic instances of the target problem and suggest the convenience of installing a transfer station in the city considering the reduction of the traveled distance.