Research Article

Implementation of a goal programming model for solid waste management: a case study of Dar es Salaam – Tanzania

¹ Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences and Engineering, School of Computational and Communication Science and Engineering, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, PO Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania
² Department of Mathematics, College of Natural and Applied Science, University of Dar es Salaam, PO Box 35062, Tanzania
³ Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Muslim University of Morogoro, PO Box 1031, Morogoro, Tanzania

^* e-mail: lyemeh@nm-aist.ac.tz; hlyeme@mum.ac.tz

Received: 23 June 2016
Accepted: 7 December 2016

Abstract

In this research article, the multi-objective optimization model for solid waste management problem is solved by the goal programming method. The model has three objectives: total cost minimization, minimization of final waste disposal to the landfill, and environmental impact minimization. First, the model is solved for the higher priority goal, and then its value is never allowed to deteriorate. The model is solved for the next priority goal and so on until the problem is solved. The model was tested with real data for solid waste management system from Dar es Salaam city. The results determine the best locations for recycling plants, separating plants, composting plants, incinerating plants, landfill and waste flow allocation between them. Furthermore, the solution shows a high reduction of the amount of waste to the landfill and greenhouse gas emissions by 78% and 57.5% respectively if fully implemented compared to the current system.