Simulation of municipal solid waste route optimization by Dijkstra’s algorithm

Abstract

This study simulated the routes of a municipal solid waste collection by a mathematical model of Dijkstra’s Algorithm. Its aim was to achieve route optimization by shortening the distance travelled by the municipal solid waste collectors. The waste collectors usually face difficulties in selecting the most cost-efficient routes to collect wastes due to the presence of multiple collection points. It is observed that unsystematic collection route planner travelled by the waste collectors increases the time and cost of waste management. Thus, to reduce the time and cost of collection, it was hypothesized that the routes taken by the waste collectors be shortened to optimize the cost-effectiveness. This study again hypothesized that employing a mathematical model of Dijkstra’s Algorithm would be able to demonstrate the route optimization.

Keywords: collection routes; Dijkstra’s Algorithm; municipal solid waste; route optimization; urban area