Improving the Organization of Waste Management Sites

Abstract

Waste management (WM) sites operate a broad scope of processes and activities that involve treatment of industrial and private waste and its recycling and landfilling. The paper applies discrete event simulation (DES) methods to assess the performance of different configurations of WM sites, as means for improving their productivity, efficiency, and organization. The authors evaluate the functioning and performance of WM sites under various real-world scenarios, such as different waste arrival times, changes of the volume of waste due to population growth, changes in the shares of different recycled materials due to increasing awareness and public campaigns. The results of the model can serve policymakers, environmentalists, and WM site managers in utilizing their existing facilities to improve both productivity and recycling and thereby reduce waste.