Waste Logistics Research Articles

Barriers to Reverse Logistics of Construction and Demolition Waste

Objective: This study aims to identify the main barriers to implementing reverse logistics for construction and demolition waste (RCD), focusing on challenges faced by both small and large waste generators. Theoretical Framework: The research is grounded in reverse logistics theories, addressing sustainability and waste management frameworks. These concepts provide a basis for understanding the diverse challenges different generator profiles encounter. Method: A systematic literature review was conducted over nine months (October 2023 to July 2024) following the PRISMA method. Seven databases were consulted—Web of Science, Scopus, MDPI, Emerald, ScienceDirect, Taylor and Francis, and Wiley—resulting in 119 relevant articles. The study identifies and categorizes barriers for small and large generators. Results and Discussion: The results revealed 20 barriers for large generators and 7 for small generators, with 4 common barriers between both groups. These barriers highlight the complexity of RCD management and suggest specific policy and strategy needs. In the discussion, these barriers are analyzed in the context of the theoretical framework, revealing practical implications for improving reverse logistics systems. Research Implications: The findings provide valuable insights for both academic research and practical applications in waste management, contributing to the development of more effective strategies for RCD handling and disposal. This research has the potential to influence public policy and industry practices in waste logistics. Originality/Value: This study fills a gap in the literature by providing a comprehensive overview of barriers specific to different waste generator profiles. It advances theoretical knowledge and offers practical recommendations for improving RCD reverse logistics.

The production systems green development: Waste logistics and data-driven waste management

Increasing the environmental friendliness of production systems is largely dependent on the effective organization of waste logistics within a single enterprise or a system of interconnected market participants. The purpose of this article is to develop and test a methodology for evaluating a data-based waste logistics model, followed by solutions to reduce the level of waste in production. The methodology is based on the principle of balance between the generation and beneficial use of waste. The information base is data from mandatory state reporting, which determines the applicability of the methodology at the level of enterprises and management departments. The methodology is presented step by step, indicating data processing algorithms, their convolution into waste turnover efficiency coefficients, classification of coefficient values and subsequent interpretation, typology of waste logistics models with access to targeted solutions to improve the environmental sustainability of production. The practical implementation results of the proposed approach are presented using the production example of chemical products. Plastics production in primary forms has been determined, characterized by the interorganizational use of waste and the return of waste to the production cycle. Production of finished plastic products, characterized by a priority for the sale of waste to other enterprises. The proposed methodology can be used by enterprises to diagnose existing models for organizing waste circulation and design their own economically feasible model of waste processing and disposal.

Optimization of household medical waste recycling logistics routes: Considering contamination risks.

The escalating generation of household medical waste, a byproduct of industrialization and global population growth, has rendered its transportation and logistics management a critical societal concern. This study delves into the optimization of routes for vehicles within the household medical waste logistics network, a response to the imperative of managing this waste effectively. The potential for environmental and public health hazards due to improper waste disposal is acknowledged, prompting the incorporation of contamination risk, influenced by transport duration, waste volume, and wind velocity, into the analysis. To enhance the realism of the simulation, traffic congestion is integrated into the vehicle speed function, reflecting the urban roads' variability. Subsequently, a Bi-objective mixed-integer programming model is formulated to concurrently minimize total operational costs and environmental pollution risks. The complexity inherent in the optimization problem has motivated the development of the Adaptive Hybrid Artificial Fish Swarming Algorithm with Non-Dominated Sorting (AH-NSAFSA). This algorithm employs a sophisticated approach, amalgamating congestion distance and individual ranking to discern optimal solutions from the population. It incorporates a decay function to facilitate an adaptive iterative process, enhancing the algorithm's convergence properties. Furthermore, it leverages the concept of crossover-induced elimination to preserve the genetic diversity and overall robustness of the solution set. The empirical evaluation of AH-NSAFSA is conducted using a test set derived from the Solomon dataset, demonstrating the algorithm's capability to generate feasible non-dominated solutions for household medical waste recycling path planning. Comparative analysis with the Non-dominated Sorted Artificial Fish Swarm Algorithm (NSAFSA) and Non-dominated Sorted Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) across metrics such as MID, SM, NOS, and CT reveals that AH-NSAFSA excels in MID, SM, and NOS, and surpasses NSAFSA in CT, albeit slightly underperforming relative to NSGA-II. The study's holistic approach to waste recycling route planning, which integrates cost-effectiveness with pollution risk and traffic congestion considerations, offers substantial support for enterprises in formulating sustainable green development strategies. AH-NSAFSA offers an eco-efficient, holistic approach to medical waste recycling, advancing sustainable management practices.

REVERSE LOGISTICS AS A TOOL FOR STRATEGIC BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES ACCUMULATING

Objective. The objective of the present article is to clarify the essence of reverse logistics and the directions of its implementation by a strategic management system for the accumulation of strategic business opportunities under market conditions. Methods. The methods used to achieve the goal are: analysis (to study the current state of development of logistics in general, and reverse logistics in particular), synthesis (to form the theoretical basis of the essence of reverse logistics), scientific research, generalization, comparison (to study approaches to the interpretation of the essence of reverse logistics ), the tabular method (for structuring modern approaches of scientists to the interpretation of the essence of reverse logistics and for explaining the components of its conceptual content). The theoretical and methodological basis of the study contains the provisions of the theory of strategic management, strategic analysis, logistics management (to define the concept of reverse logistics management), the theory of the life cycle of goods (to reveal the conceptual content of reverse logistics), as well as the theory of the circular economy, which, according to its content, actualizes use of reverse logistics by modern enterprises. Results. The conducted research makes it possible to establish that, according to the results of the World Bank rating by the logistics performance index (Logistics Performance Index), Ukraine has a significant potential for building up and developing the logistics component, which, in the conditions of military operations on the territory of the state, determines the effectiveness of the functioning of the entire economic system of the state. In the course of the study, it is determined that reverse logistics is a component of the logistics system of a business entity (both at the micro- and macro-level), focused on the processes of planning, implementation and control of reverse logistics flows of goods and related information. The structuring of the key conceptual characteristics of reverse logistics takes place with the definition of the object and subject of management, the core of reverse logistics, the purpose of implementation, subjects, level of management, organizational features of implementation, time orientation and component costs. Areas that directly reveal the content of management activities within the implementation of reverse logistics are: reverse logistics, recycling logistics, waste logistics. It is substantiated that reverse logistics provides enterprises with new strategic opportunities due to its characteristic features: it is a direction of increasing the efficiency of the company's activity, since the reversed material flows, under the condition of successful logistics and operational management, can be transformed into an additional source of income; this is a source of obtaining additional advantages on the market due to the improvement of service quality, creation of an additional flow of products (results of processing of raw materials, waste, etc.), quality management of the life cycle of goods; it ensures the formation of value for consumers, both due to increased sales and after-sales service, and due to the creation of new consumer value in the form of ecological production, recycling and diffusion of innovations; it is one of the conditions for the functioning of socially responsible business, its form of implementation

Green and Reserve Logistics of Packaging and Plastic Packaging Waste under the Conditions of Circular Economy at the Level of the European Union Member States

Sustainable development involves constant efforts to reduce pollution by using resources as efficiently as possible. One of the sources of pollution is waste from packaging, recovery, and of course, the possibility of recycling them. The research theme of this paper is the reverse logistics of plastic packaging, which allows the realization of the idea of circular economy and green logistics, which promotes the idea of sustainable development. The EU is strongly committed to issues related to the management of plastic packaging and waste to reduce environmental pollution and achieve circularity goals. Through this article, we aim to highlight the degree to which the EU member states are included in the plastic packaging recycling targets for the year 2030. To highlight the evolution trend for the recycling rate of plastic packaging, we used an advanced forecasting model that runs a series of variables in order to draw up a forecast as accurate as possible. After highlighting the recycling rates for plastic packaging at the level of the EU member states, we proceeded to outline some recommendations in order to encourage the EU member states to make the recycling process more efficient. The current study continues the series of studies dealing with the problem of recycling, but it covers a topic not addressed until this moment, namely the behavior of the citizen regarding the recycling activity seen through the prism of national culture. The current study aims to strengthen the specialized literature in this field and to offer innovative solutions that appeal to the respective national cultures regarding the availability of the populations of the EU member states to address the problem of recycling plastic packaging, not only from a legislative perspective but also from a cultural one. In conclusion, this study generates a model of approach to government policies regarding the recycling of plastic packaging considering the types of national cultures prevailing in the EU member countries, with this being possible by grouping the countries into culturally homogenous clusters. In this way, the environmental policies enunciated by governments can be adapted to convey the message in a more personal way, considering the cultural differences between the EU member states.

Life cycle analysis in hazardous waste logistics in Türkiye: a case study

ABSTRACT The collection and transportation activities engaged in waste management (WM) are known to have significant environmental impacts. This study assessed the current environmental situation regarding the use of diesel fuel in hazardous waste (HW) collection and transportation using a LCA methodology. The study utilized the actual transportation data of the HW collection and transportation activities of a WM company, IZAYDAS, for the year 2021. The functional unit (FU) chosen for analysis was the “environmental impact per annual total fuel consumption.” In addition, the study aimed to understand potential changes in environmental impact if electricity were used as a fuel alternative. The findings revealed that in the current scenario with diesel fuel, the Abiotic Depletion Potential (Fossil Fuel) (ADP Fossil) effect category had a dominant effect (3.92E + 06 MJ). The total Global Warming Potential (GWP100a) effect for HW transportation was determined to be 5.28E + 05 kg CO2 eq in 2021. When electricity was considered a fuel alternative, a decrease was observed in the GWP100a and ADP impact categories. At the same time, Human Toxicity (HTP), Acidification (AP), and Eutrophication (EP) showed an increase due to fossil fuel-based energy production. Sensitivity analysis indicated that all effects are lower in countries that depend on clean energy sources for electricity production.

An application of BWM for risk control in reverse logistics of medical waste.

The pollution posed by medical waste complicate the procedures of medical waste logistics (MWL), and the increasingly frequent occurrence of public health emergencies has magnified the risks posed by it. In this study, the authors established an index of the factors influencing the risks posed by MWL along five dimensions: the logistics business, emergency capacity, equipment, personnel, and management. The best-worst case method was used to identify the critical risk-related factors and rank them by importance. Following this, we assessed the risk posed by MWL in four major cities in China as an example and propose the corresponding measures of risk control. The results showed that the linking of business processes was the most important factor influencing the risk posed by MWL. The other critical risk-related factors included the location of the storage site, the capacity for emergency transportation, measures to manage emergencies, and the safety of packaging. Of the cities considered, Beijing was found to be a high-risk city, and its MWL needed to be improved as soon as possible in light of the relevant critical risks. Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen were evaluated as general-risk cities, which meant that the risks of MWL were not a priority in these areas, and the other goals of urban development should be comprehensively considered during the long-term planning for MWL in these municipalities.

On the role of system integration in plastic waste management

The management of plastic waste is a growing concern that can harm wildlife and ecosystems, and its end-of-life policies are key to mitigating plastic environmental impact. This work presents a decision-making methodology for the thermal and material valorization of plastic waste, coupling a supply chain model with multi-objective optimization and data analytics. It highlights the challenges and vulnerabilities of plastic waste management, the importance of system integration and holistic analysis, as well as the potential for carbon capture to reduce emissions. Our results suggest that efficient incineration, coupled with simplified waste logistics, can compete with existing mechanical recycling strategies in terms of emissions and costs. This study provides insights into municipal, regional, and European waste management, with the potential for a common EU platform and savings of 210 Mton of CO2 by harvesting benefits from plastic recycling and incineration with carbon capture.

Reverse Logistics of Packaging Waste under the Conditions of a Sustainable Circular Economy at the Level of the European Union States

The efficient use of natural resources and the quality of the environment are the main priorities of sustainable development. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the role of reverse logistics in the context of sustainable development, starting from the premise that it combines environmental and economic objectives and aims to minimize the wastage of resources through the reuse of products and packaging. In the current context, the circular economy must be approached by considering the methods of waste collection and reuse, with reverse logistics playing an essential role in creating environmental, economic, and social benefits. The growing population obviously determines the increase in the consumption of resources, which inevitably leads to the increasing generation of packaging and packaging waste. This study aimed to highlight the evolution of recycling rates at the level of the EU member states, starting from the stability objectives of the European Commission for the years 2025–2030. Starting from the Eurostat database, for the 27 member states of the European Union, regarding the recovery rate, recycle rate, and waste generation kg_per_capita related to the period of 2009–2020, we extrapolated the trends of the recycling rate of packaging for the period of 2021–2030 with the help of the Prophet model. Using the Prophet forecasting program, we identified states from the European Union that will meet the stability targets set by the European Commission for the years 2025 to 2030, considering the need to develop a circular economy.

Climate impacts of source-separated biowaste from small neighbourhoods in Finland based on pilot experiments for novel biowaste collection systems

The climate impacts of biowaste collection and utilisation were assessed based on data from two regional pilots. The EU’s waste legislation will require biowaste source separation and collection from detached houses in communities with over 10,000 inhabitants starting from 2024 onwards. Two novel biowaste collection approaches were piloted in two Finnish case regions. One with biowaste collection to larger biolinks with a van and another with composting biowaste bins. The biolink approach reduces the need for waste truck driving, while composting biowaste bins enable an extended collection period. A life cycle assessment method was applied to assess the climate impacts of biowaste collection options and utilisation compared with current practices. The results show that source separation of biowaste and direction to biogas production leads to lower overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at the system level compared with the current waste incineration option. Waste logistics has only a minor role in total GHG emissions, but a system based on biolinks and biowaste collection using a van led to the lowest GHG emission levels. Therefore, from a GHG emissions perspective, encouraging people to source separate their biowaste should be made as easy and encouraging as possible, no matter how the actual logistics is provided. However, novel and improved approaches for source-separated biowaste collection provide the potential for additional GHG emissions reductions.

The Efficiency of Solid Waste Logistics Management: A Prominent Case Study of Banped Subdistrict, Municipality Mueang Khon Kaen District, Khon Kaen Province

Solid waste is a significant issue worldwide, and it is concerned by many countries worldwide. Local government has a substantial role in managing solid waste. Solid waste is increasing yearly because of several causes, such as the rapidly rising population and the massive city's expansion into suburban areas. The Municipal takes responsibility to collect and dispose of the solid waste in their responsible area. This article aims to forecast solid waste in the future using four methods: static methods, exponential smoothing, Holt's model, and Winter's model. Then, compare all methods to find the optimal ones with the most accurate forecasting. By determining the criteria, the forecast error measures are the absolute deviation (MAD) and the mean of the absolute percentage error (MAPE), which have a minimum error. One of the other purposes is to develop an optimization route that provides the possibility of decreasing distances and reducing transportation expenses. Typically, the most common methods are the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) and Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) to solve the problems. This article will use two algorithms for two steps. The first step is to set the routes with the nearest neighbor heuristic (NN) to generate the routes MSW from point to point until all are reached and return to the origin point. In the second step, improve the routes by using the 2-Opt heuristic. The results found that the 2-Opt can decrease transportation distances, which is optimal and saves costs. In addition to that, it can make process management more effective. Keywords: Forecasting, Nearest Neighbour Heuristic, 2-Opt Heuristic, Travelling Salesman Problem

Value stream analysis of a waste picker cooperative

Purpose: This article aims to propose improvements to a solid waste cooperative’s value stream from social, environmental, and economic aspects of sustainability and within the scope of lean philosophy. Design/Methodology/Approach: An empirical piece of research was developed to obtain an overview of the productive process of a cooperative located in the city of Florianópolis, in Southern Brazil, starting with the application of Value Stream Mapping (VSM) in a case study. Results: Some sustainability challenges in waste management were identified in the studied cooperative’s reality, such as: Urban Solid Waste (USW) inefficient management; lack of resources to help with basic expenses, which jeopardizes the individual income earned by pickers; risks to workers when carrying out activities without personal protective equipment and instructions on how to perform tasks properly, in addition to the disorganized environment, which results in high piles of waste and puts the workers’ health at risk. Research Limitations: As limitations, it is possible to list the focus on a single material flow for better applicability of VSM and non-implementation of the improvements proposed. Practical Implications: Results contributed to the cooperative analyzed in this study by identifying the main waste that compromise the organization’s operational and sustainable efficiency. Originality/Value: There is a research gap on the thematic axes of this study in the context of waste picker cooperatives; this article is therefore original for addressing the application of VSM with a sustainable bias in reverse logistics of solid waste.

A multi-stage decision framework for managing hazardous waste logistics with random release dates

This research develops a multi-stage decision framework for a three-tier collection network for hazardous waste considering random release dates. Applying a cost-based clustering approach, the first stage decisions involve locating the transfer stations and allocating generation nodes to the chosen facilities. The corresponding results, along with a subjective risk-aversion concept and estimated release dates, are utilized to generate an a priori collection plan, which can be further revised once the actual release dates are realized. We performed sensitivity analyses on important model elements, including the subjective risk-aversion parameter and vehicle capacity for collection tours. Our findings indicate that depending on the subjective perspective of the collector, deviations from the original scheduled plan can be a positive or negative phenomenon. For an optimistic decision-maker, adaption to the realized deviations necessitates accepting additional total risk. On the other hand, a pessimistic decision-maker is more likely to benefit from deviations. The findings can provide relevant authorities with practical and realistic strategic and operational decisions.

Implementing Service Science Perspective with Adapting SOP as a Growth Strategy to Expand Market B2B in F&B Sector in Bandung

Law of the Republic of Indonesia No. 18 of 2008 concerning Waste Management states that waste management needs to be carried out in a comprehensive and integrated manner from upstream to downstream in order to have a positive impact on the economy, public health, and the environment. Garbage has become a big issue on a national scale without good rules and guidelines. The purpose of this study is to provide SOPs in a circular economy with a service science perspective as a growth strategy for NYAMPIH, a waste logistics management start-up. The object of research is food and beverage businesses in Bandung, such as coffee shops, restaurants, and hotels. This study uses a qualitative approach by observing and interviewing a total of 8 respondents who have the position of manager and business cleaning division. The primary data used is NYAMPIH operations with company documents and literature reviews as well as summaries and thoughts from various sources to support this research. The results of this study are that the F&B sector is still experiencing difficulties in managing its waste because there are no regulations or guidelines that can be implemented properly by the industry due to the limited authority given and no responsibility given from superiors, the waste management and selection processes are not supported by infrastructure now. This research has implications for creating a circular economy scheme for organic and non-organic waste that results in more sustainable economic growth.

Sorting, Logistics and Secondary Use of Solid Household Waste in Ukraine on the Way to European Integration

Sorting, Logistics and Secondary Use of Solid Household Waste in Ukraine on the Way to European Integration

Waste Management with the Use of Heuristic Algorithms and Internet of Things Technology.

Studies have been performed to improve the process of waste management. They were fulfilled by changing the base of waste logistics management using a combination of intelligent algorithms and the IMPACT IoT platform instead of a human factor. The research was carried out on the example of real data with respect to waste management in a given area. The proposed solution includes a program that simulates the filling of specific waste containers located in various areas. The determined aspects are inconveniences on the routes, affecting the time of moving between the receiving points and the distances between the containers. The variability of the speed and intensity of the containers filling up over time is an additional factor taken into account. The proposed methods yielded the performance of the control of the containers' filling status in real time, which apparently results in the possibility of a reaction to the current demand just in time. The proposed solution enables the improvement of the waste logistics management process, including avoiding the too-frequent emptying of containers or overfilling them. The combination of the device prototype, the simulation program, and the developed algorithms opens the possibility for further research in the smart city and optimization areas.

Financial analysis of residual vegetable oil reverse logistics on a Park Road, Brazil

The objective of this study was to evaluate the reverse logistics of residual vegetable oil (RVO) in the restaurants on a Park Road in Brazil by identifying their waste disposal methods and analysis of the economic and financial ratio of four reverse channel scenarios proposed by the authors: (1) private-sector transformation of RVO into biodiesel; (2) transformation of RVO into biodiesel by local cooperatives and public administration; (3) RVO reused for soap production by the private sector; (4) RVO reused for soap production by local cooperatives and public administration. The methodology used was a qualitative and quantitative research. The questionnaire applied through personal interview was the method for data collection. The analysis of the results was supported by the capital budgeting techniques: net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR) and discounted payback. To determine the economic risk of each scenario, the Monte Carlo method was used. The main results showed that there was a monthly production of 1,134 liters of RVO; reverse waste logistics achieve a high rate of adequate disposal, but some problems remain to be solved, such as periodicity of collection; lack of return to the local community and incentive for waste collection. Among the considered proposed scenarios to a better reverse logistics, the production of artisanal soap through a partnership with the public administration was predicted to perform best. In this scenario the estimated payback time of the invested capital was 3 years and 2 months.

The Logistics of Waste: Engineering, Capital Accumulation, and the Growth of Mexico City

AbstractHow is capital accumulation sustained in the Anthropocene, even as it threatens to overwhelm everyone—capitalists included—in ever‐growing quantities of waste? This paper examines this question at the metropolitan scale, focusing on the growth of Greater Mexico City. In a bid to spur capital accumulation, governments across the megacity increasingly push for new urban developments that encroach on the already‐strained drainage system, limiting its capacity to prevent floods. To protect these developments, state engineers now regularly divert wastewater through the homes and streets of marginalised areas of the metropolis. Even as these diversions turn marginal neighbourhoods into ephemeral waste conduits, the transience of wastewaters and the complexity of engineers’ operations limit the possibilities for collective resistance. This calculative management of the flows of waste—here termed the logistics of waste—is a critical yet understudied way engineering sustains the accumulation of capital and limits popular resistance to elite‐led projects of endless growth.

Collaborative Routing Optimization Model for Reverse Logistics of Construction and Demolition Waste from Sustainable Perspective.

The construction industry is developing rapidly along with the acceleration of urbanization but accompanied by an increased amount of construction and demolition waste (CDW). From the perspective of sustainability, the existing research has mainly focused on CDW treatment or landfill disposal, but the challenge of reverse logistics of CDW recycling that provides overall CDW route planning for multiple participants and coordinates the transportation process between multiple participants is still unclear. This paper develops an optimization model for multi-depot vehicle routing problems with time windows (MDVRPTW) for CDW transportation that is capable of coordinating involved CDW participants and suggesting a cost-effective, environment-friendly, and resource-saving transportation plan. Firstly, economic cost, environmental pollution, and social impact are discussed to establish this optimization-oriented decision model for MDVRPTW. Then, a method combined with a large neighborhood search algorithm and a local search algorithm is developed to plan the transportation route for CDW reverse logistics process. With the numerical experiments, the computational results illustrate the better performance of this proposed method than those traditional methods such as adaptive large neighborhood search algorithm or adaptive genetic algorithm. Finally, a sensitivity analysis considering time window, vehicle capacity, and carbon tax rate is conducted respectively, which provides management implications to support the decision-making of resource utilization maximization for enterprises and carbon emission management for the government.

Researchon fuzzy evaluation of waste logistics system in industrial park based on BP neural network

<p align="justify">According to the design principle of evaluation index, combined with the requirements of system operation efficiency and benefit, the development of eco city and eco industrial park, this paper puts forward the evaluation index system of waste logistics system in the park with 22 secondary indexes from the five aspects of system input, system capacity, operation efficiency, treatment efficiency and environmental performance, reasonably determines the index weight by using analytic hierarchy process, and selects 12 industrial parks as the object for example analysis, and use the proposed index system to carry out fuzzy evaluation and obtain the input and evaluation results of fuzzy evaluation. Then, according to the fuzzy evaluation process, build a three-layer BP neural network, train the BP network with the input and output of fuzzy evaluation, and obtain the BP network that can perform fuzzy evaluation. The example analysis shows that: the evaluation results of BP network for each park are the same as those of fuzzy evaluation. It is a convenient, reliable and effective scientific tool to evaluate the performance of waste logistics system in the park.</p>