Systems Analysis and Solid Waste Planning

Increasing waste generation, difficulties in labor-management relations, rising costs, and uncertain technology are only a few of the problems facing today's solid waste managers. A number of analytical tools, including management information systems, simulation, and mathematical models, are available and can be applied to the solution of these and related problems. This paper presents various system analysis approaches which have been used to analyze the solid waste management function and reports on the development of a management information system combined with a simulation model that has been implemented in a large metropolitan area. As a result of this project, the city made substantial changes in its solid waste application saving over $9,000,000 in 2 yr.