Planning Regional Material Recovery Facilities in a Fast-Growing Urban Region

Both planning and design of material recovery facility (MRF) require accurate prediction of solid waste generation, and achieving the anticipated generation trends in fast-growing regions is challenging. This chapter begins with a system dynamics model capable of addressing socioeconomic and environmental situations leading to accurate prediction analysis of solid waste generation. This forecasting approach evaluates a variety of possible causative models and tracks inevitable uncertainties that traditional statistical least squares regression methods cannot. The chapter focuses on the optimal site selection and capacity planning of a MRF in conjunction with an optimal shipping strategy of solid waste streams in a multidistrict urban region. It also presents a dynamic example where scenario planning using optimization analysis demonstrates the robustness and flexibility of site screening and selection of MRF.