Waste Collection Vehicle Routing Problem: Case Study in Alexandria, Egypt

The problem of the solid waste collection is becoming one of the most important applications addressed as Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows (VRPTW). This paper presents a solution of a large scale vehicle routing problem for the waste collection in Alexandria city in Egypt. A GIS based model is developed and the VRPTW is solved using TransCAD® software. Different scenarios were developed and compared. The case was solved with three clustering scenarios and without clustering. The results showed superiority of clustering based scenarios over the solution without clustering. The developed model is used as a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) that allows investigating different scenarios for solid waste collection vehicle routing and improving the overall logistics performance of such systems.