The development of a framework for the selection of optimal sites for the location of municipal solid waste to value‐added facilities through the integration of a geographical information system and a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process

Abstract

This study develops a framework for quantification of the available municipal solid waste (MSW), defines the geographical point source locations for the MSW feedstock, and determines optimal locations for potential waste‐to‐value‐added (W2VA) facility sites. The framework developed here is applied to Canada. To determine optimal sites for W2VA facilities, a three‐stage decision‐making model comprising exclusion analysis, preference analysis, and network analysis was developed. The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) and geographic information systems (GIS) were used in an integrated decision‐making network to prioritize the preference factors and facility locations; with these, a land suitability map (LSM) was developed and suitable candidate sites for W2VA facilities were obtained for Canada. The identified candidate sites were then used in a network analysis to select optimal sites with minimal travel distances. This study was used to determine 10 and 15 optimal sites for W2VA facilities in Western Canada and Eastern Canada, respectively. This study prioritized optimal sites based on the minimization of transportation distances. The highest priority site in Western Canada is Site 1, located in Lethbridge County, Alberta. It is connected with 74 TSs and can receive 2.42 million tonnes of MSW. The highest priority site in Eastern Canada is Site 11, which is located in West Nipissing, Ontario, and is connected with 42 transport stations (TSs) and can receive 1 million tonnes of MSW. The adaptability of the applied decision‐making model, competency of the developed LSM, and flexibility of the network analysis provide a competent supporting tool for authorities to identify optimal locations for W2VA facilities.