Evaluation of Solid Waste Management System Using Fuzzy Composition

Abstract

Evaluating the best alternative for a solid waste management system often requires decision makers to consider conflicting, vague, and uncertain information. Fuzzy set theory offers a possible means of managing these kinds of data or information. In this study, we propose a systematic approach to evaluating a solid waste management system in a fuzzy environment. The approach employs three main concepts: linguistic variables, fuzzy numbers, and an analytic hierarchy process. The linguistic variables are used to represent the degree of appropriateness of decision criteria, which are vague or uncertain. These linguistic variables are then translated into fuzzy numbers to reflect their uncertainties and aggregated into the final fuzzy decision value using a hierarchical structure. Through a case study, the approach is applied to the evaluation of a solid waste management system consisting of four different treatment alternatives. The results demonstrate that the developed approach can be a useful tool for evaluating a solid waste management system, where criteria are vague or imprecise.