Modelling Industrial Waste Management at Regional Scale

A mathematical model is proposed for planning a regional programme for industrial waste management. The model is based on economic optimisation and allows preliminary decisions to be made at the operational planning phase. Moreover, it allows management of the treatment and disposal of different types of industrial waste once the treatment facilities and the disposal sites are defined. The model depicts the industrial waste management cycle using a network of nodes and lines. The model’s application is simple and does not require extensive data. Results are easily assimilated, facilitating management choices. To demonstrate the model’s potential and to evaluate the economic advantages pertaining to different treatment options, a case study is presented. The results demonstrate that it is possible to minimize the total cost of management through an accurate repartition of industrial waste flows among different types of treatment facilities and disposal sites.