Strategic municipal solid waste management: A quantitative model for Italian regions

To address waste management situation, this study uses a multi-objective mathematical programming. A new plan is presented to evaluate and quantify the effects of initiatives for diversion of current waste from landfill. In an attempt to better simulate realistic waste management scenarios, the amount of waste generated is not annually constant and changes are accounted in waste diversion rates. Moreover, due to the geographical characteristics of Italy, the realization of new facilities is replicated with a regional detail. In this paper economic and financial indicators are used to define the profitability of waste facilities. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis is used to test some of the initial assumptions. Once identified the efficient Waste to Energy plant, regional strategies of waste management are proposed to optimize financial and environmental benefits of the sector. The proposed waste management framework provides a concrete scheme for future research in assessing quantitatively the effectiveness of waste management.