https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0246-8304
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Abstract
The focus of this paper is the Smart Waste Collection Routing Problem (SWCRP) with workload concerns, a variant of the well-known Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP). Specifically, we propose a solution methodology to address medium to large size problems consisting of two phases. In the first phase, a look-ahead heuristic is used to decide when to perform collection routes considering that real-time information is available through sensors located inside the waste bins. In the second phase, it defines the routes to perform using either an optimisation-based approach or a hybrid metaheuristic approach. A large-size real case study is used to test these approaches. Significant improvements on the key performance indicators characterising the waste collection operations demonstrate the benefits that can be achieved through the proposed solution methodology, within balanced collection routing plans are designed. Moreover, computational and managerial insights about adding workload concerns and performing multi-municipality versus single-municipality operations are provided for the case study.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Data availability statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, TRPR, upon reasonable request.
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Notes on contributors
Carolina Soares de Morais
Carolina Soares de Morais has a degree in Mining Engineering from Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais, with exchange experience at Universidade de Vigo, where she attended courses in Industrial Engineering. She recently received her PhD in Engineering and Management from Instituto Superior Técnico - University of Lisbon. She has professional experience in fractional load transportation (4 years working with fleet management in a logistics company in Brazil) and is currently a researcher at CEG-IST - Centre for Management Studies of Instituto Superior Técnico, with focus on the investigation of route optimization problems applied to smart waste management.
Diana Rita Ramos Jorge
Diana Rita Ramos Jorge received the M.S. degree in Civil Engineering and the Ph.D. degree in transportation systems (MIT|Portugal Program) from the University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. She worked for two consultancy companies in the Netherlands as well as a real time delivery company in the UK. The focus of her work was the optimization of different transportation problems, such as routing, drivers to jobs assignment, shift scheduling and rostering, and load assignment to different compartments. Diana is currently an Assistant Professor of Industrial Engineering and Management at the U. Lusofona.
Ana Raquel Aguiar
Ana Raquel Aguiar is a PhD candidate in the Engineering and Management Doctoral Program at IST – University of Lisbon and researcher at CEGIST – Centre for Management Studies of IST. She received her Integrated Master's degree in Biomedical Engineering, also from IST. She has participated in Research and Consultancy projects on waste management, focusing real-world problems, solving problems at the strategic, tactical, and operational levels, related to network design, operations planning, routing and the study of the impact of new technologies on the logistics systems. She is currently working on home care routing and scheduling. She has participated in Operations Research international conferences.
Ana Paula Barbosa-Póvoa
Ana Paula Barbosa-Póvoa is a Full Professor in Operations and Logistics, at the Engineering and Management Department of Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), University of Lisbon. She holds a PhD from the Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine and her research focus is on developing a comprehensive understanding of complex problems in supply chains and operations management, supported by novel and sound engineering systems models and techniques. Sustainability, resilience, uncertainty and risk in the design and planning of supply chains are among the main research addressed domains. Ana has created and coordinates the research group in Operations Management and Logistics (OpLog) at the Centre for Management Studies of IST. Her research has led to several national and international awards having received recently the honour of being considered the best researcher in Industrial Management at the University of Lisbon.
António Pais Antunes
António Pais Antunes is a Professor of Spatial Planning and Transport Systems at the U. of Coimbra (Portugal), and has been an Invited Professor at EPF Lausanne (2010/11), and a Visiting Professor at MIT, USA (2013/14). He holds a PhD in Applied Sciences from UC Louvain. Over his career he has been involved in 22 research projects (6 times as PI) and supervised 24 completed PhD thesis. A significant part of his research has focused on waste management topics, from the planning of regional systems to the location of major treatment facilities and the design of recyclables collection routes.
Tânia Rodrigues Pereira Ramos
Tânia Rodrigues Pereira Ramos is an Associate Professor at the Engineering and Management Department at IST – University of Lisbon. She received her Bachelor's degree in Management from ISCTE-IUL, her Master's degree in Operations Research and Systems Engineering from IST and her PhD in Engineering and Management from IST. Tânia's research focuses mainly on modelling and solving real-world problems related with logistics systems planning, routing, sustainability, reverse logistics and waste management systems. She has several papers published in international journals. She is also the co-author of books in the field of logistics. She has coordinated several national projects on the fields of logistics and waste management.