Algorithmic Waste Reduction

Abstract

Motivated by a desire for waste reduction through surplus redistribution, we explore the paradox of overproduction of resources that are wasted at several levels of the supply chain and the concurrent lack of access to, in most cases, overproduced basic resources by low income socioeconomic classes to whom resource access is normally only available through donation centers. To that end, we contrast two surplus redistribution solutions to this paradox. (1) Local independent donations between producers and donation centers. (2) Redistribution by way of a global redistributor (what we will call a core redistributor) who collects donations from all available producers and redistributes the surplus to all donation centers respective of their demanded quantities. We mathematically show that an optimal allocation of the surplus that minimizes waste and maximizes social welfare is only possible with a core redistributor. As this is a deeply social and economic problem rather than mathematical, we also qualitatively study two cases; (1) food waste and food insecurity in the UK, and (2) Los Angeles County’s project RoomKey: a pandemic effort to house covid-vulnerable unhoused persons in vacant hotels and motels. Both case studies give more support for a core redistribution as a solution to waste from overproduction and lack of access to essential resources.