Leader-follower optimized approach for carbon-economy equilibrium in the municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration industry

A sustainable green reverse logistics plan for plastic solid waste management using TOPSIS method

Recycling solid plastic waste is helpful for resource utilisation in a sustainable manner, and this can lead to reverse logistics to recover waste in supply chain management. In developing economies, it is very essential to recover waste and recycle it, as mismanagement of it could hasten the development of negative socioeconomic and environmental issues. This paper investigates plastic waste recycling by means of reverse logistics management. We feature Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), which is a multi-criteria decision-making approach to selecting a suitable warehouse that will assist the decision-maker and supply the product to the re-manufacturing cell by inspecting the waste. The paper also focuses on the carbon emissions that are emitted during re-manufacturing through a mathematical model that minimises the total cost and total carbon emissions. A case study of the plastic re-manufacturing industry in Tripura, India, is shown here to present the steps of the decision support system. The model is programmed with real-life data from the case study and yields a total cost of Rs. 2894.37 and total emissions of 414.15 gm/lt, when the disposal cost is considered; without it, the total cost is Rs. 2668.69 and the total emissions are 413.54 gm/lt. The results obtained are promising for reducing carbon emissions from the recycling process of plastic waste at a lower cost. This research will also help the environment cope with plastic waste, which has become a threat to nature, as well as carbon emissions that come from the industry. Finally, some managerial insights and suitable analyses with pictorial representation are proposed.

Source separation, transportation, pretreatment, and valorization of municipal solid waste: a critical review

Waste sorting is an effective means of enhancing resource or energy recovery from municipal solid waste (MSW). Waste sorting management system is not limited to source separation, but also involves at least three stages, i.e., collection and transportation (C&T), pretreatment, and resource utilization. This review focuses on the whole process of MSW management strategy based on the waste sorting perspective. Firstly, as the sources of MSW play an essential role in the means of subsequent valorization, the factors affecting the generation of MSW and its prediction methods are introduced. Secondly, a detailed comparison of approaches to source separation across countries is presented. Constructing a top-down management system and incentivizing or constraining residents' sorting behavior from the bottom up is believed to be a practical approach to promote source separation. Then, the current state of C&T techniques and its network optimization are reviewed, facilitated by artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things technologies. Furthermore, the advances in pretreatment strategies for enhanced sorting and resource recovery are introduced briefly. Finally, appropriate methods to valorize different MSW are proposed. It is worth noting that new technologies, such as AI, show high application potential in waste management. The sharing of (intermediate) products or energy of varying processing units will inject vitality into the waste management network and achieve sustainable development.