title: Possibility of the most cost efficient choice: a divided process approach to method and location selection for municipal solid waste management.
abstract: As studies on municipal solid waste management increased in recent years, many new mathematical models and approaches with a focus on determining the best treatment and disposal scenario were developed and applied. In this study, a mixed integer linear programming model was developed to be used as a facilitative tool for the cost minimisation of municipal solid waste management practices. Since municipal solid waste mass is a mixed composition of various types of waste components with different physical and chemical properties, the model was designed to include all the suitable treatment and disposal methods for these different waste components. The method alternatives with multiple waste inputs, such as aerobic biological treatment and the thermal processes, were divided into a number of inputs to remove their non-linear structures. This way, linear programming could be used, and the linear cost function could be minimised over a set of linear constraints with integer variables. The model was applied to the city of Kocaeli, which will require a new waste management application in the future, beginning from 2015. The results obtained for different haul distance constraints in the study area were presented and assessed. The results showed that all the information required for a comprehensive management task could be modelled by a linear optimisation model with a divided processes approach easily.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Kocaeli, Kocaeli, Turkey kemal.korucu@kocaeli.edu.tr.
authors.forename: M Kemal
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Korucu
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Kocaeli, Kocaeli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cihan
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Kocaeli, Kocaeli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Atakan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alkan
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Kocaeli, Kocaeli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ozbay
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Kocaeli, Kocaeli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aykan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karademir
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Kocaeli, Kocaeli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Zerrin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Aladag
mesh_terms: D002947:Cities; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*; D014421:Turkey
keywords: Divided process approach; decision making; method selection; mixed integer linear programming; municipal solid wastes