Multicriteria Optimization for Infectious Medical Waste Collection System Planning

Abstract

An infectious waste collection system planning in Taiwan requires solving routing and scheduling problems simultaneously due to an environmental regulation. Previous work on this type of problem that considered a single criterion is extended in this study to a multiple criteria optimization approach. In addition to minimization of the cost, minimization of transportation risk and balancing of workers’ carrying loads are considered for hazardous waste collection. Dynamic programming and integer linear programming methods are incorporated as an integral part of decision analysis in which a compromise programming method is adopted to integrate the three criteria of concern. Finally, an illustrative example of infectious waste collection in Tainan City is presented to demonstrate the application potential of the proposed approach. A geographical information system is used to aid in relevant spatial analyses, such as the location of medical institutions, actual travel distances, and district population density, in the optimization steps. The findings indicate that the incorporation of more objectives in decision analysis may provide a scientifically credible solution for medical waste management in urban areas.