Decision support for municipal solid waste management systems planning

Mathematical models have been developed to address numerous planning, design and operational problems associated with the management of municipal solid waste (MSW). A literature review reveals the growing number and complexity of the available models. A survey of practising waste management professionals indicated a lack of practical applications of these models, despite a general interest in systems analysis techniques as decision-making aids. The increasing number of waste management options makes it more challenging to decide on the combination of collection, processing and disposal systems that will best serve the present and future needs of a particular community. General approaches are proposed for integrating waste management expertise and mathematical models, based on the use of systems analysis and knowledge-based system techniques. Waste management expertise is encoded within knowledge-based system components. As a means of demonstrating these approaches, a prototype decision support system has been developed to assist with waste diversion program planning, and the preliminary planning of MSW management systems. The decision support approach involves the integration of more traditional spreadsheet, optimization and simulation models with knowledge-based system components. The decision support system provides assistance with a number of planning steps: waste generation and composition forecasting; technology evaluation; waste diversion program design; facility cost and operational data estimation; facility location, sizing, and investment timing, and waste allocation; and MSW management system analysis.