Curbside Collection of Yard Waste: II. Simulation and Application

Curbside collection of compostable material can be expensive because the costs of curbside collection are high, but also because amounts collected per residence are small compared to the total waste stream and time is wasted driving by non–setting-out residences. In this paper a simulation model is used to investigate the effect of collection method and route characteristics on route time. Simulation analyses indicate that route time (RT) varies almost linearly with set-out rate (SOR), the percentage of residences placing materials out on a given day. Route time per unit (RTU) of material collected remains relatively constant for higher SORs, but increases rapidly as SOR decreases below a certain point. The characteristics of the collection method and neighborhood can significantly effect RT and RTU. However, set-out distribution appears to have little effect over a SOR of approximately 5%. Thus, a simple procedure for estimating route time is presented which, coupled with a method for estimating collection needs, can be used to estimate vehicle and labor requirements for compost curbside collection programs.