Title: A decision support system for waste collection management and its potential improvement with Radio-Frequency Identification Technology (RFID)

Authors: Izabela Nielsen; Ming K. Lim; Peter Nielsen; Rebecca Aggarwal

Addresses: Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Aalborg University, Fibigerstraede 16, 9220 Aalborg Oest, Denmark. ' RFID Advanced Research, Engineering Systems and Management, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK. ' Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Aalborg University, Fibigerstraede 16, 9220 Aalborg Oest, Denmark. ' RFID Advanced Research, Engineering Systems and Management, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK

Abstract: Due to vigorous globalisation and product proliferation in recent years, more waste has been produced by the soaring manufacturing activities. This has contributed to the significant need for an efficient waste management system to ensure, with all efforts, the waste is properly treated for recycling or disposed. This paper presents a Decision Support System (DSS) framework, based on Constraint Logic Programming (CLP), for the collection management of industrial waste (of all kinds) and discusses the potential employment of Radio-Frequency Identification Technology (RFID) to improve several critical procedures involved in managing waste collection. This paper also demonstrates a widely distributed and semi-structured network of waste producing enterprises (e.g. manufacturers) and waste processing enterprises (i.e. waste recycling/treatment stations) improving their operations planning by means of using the proposed DSS. The potential RFID applications to update and validate information in a continuous manner to bring value-added benefits to the waste collection business are also presented.

Keywords: RFID technology; radio frequency identification; reverse logistics; waste supply chains; supply chain management; SCM; decision support systems; DSS; CLP; constraint logic programming; waste collection; solid waste management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJETM.2012.049230

International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 2012 Vol.15 No.3/4/5/6, pp.305 - 324

Published online: 17 Dec 2014 *

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