Optimal Routing for Solid Waste Collection in Cities by using Real Genetic Algorithm

Abstract

The routing is one of the main components of solid waste management in the cities where the collection takes 85% of the solid waste system cost. The objective of this research paper is to find the best route for collecting solid waste in cities taking Irbid City in Jordan as an example problem. The routing problem in this example is a node routing or traveling salesman problem (TSP). This work has developed a methodology based on real genetic algorithm for effective solving the TSP. This GA comprises real-value coding with specific behavior taking each code as it is (whether binary, integer, real or name), rank selection, and efficient uniform genetic operators. The results indicated, in comparison with the other applied optimization methods (linear, dynamic, Monte Carlo and heuristic search methods), that the real GA produces significantly the lowest distance (least cost tour) solution. It is concluded that real GA approach is robust, represents an efficient search method and is easily applied to dynamic and complex system of the well-known TSP in the field of solid waste routing system in the large cities.