A Two-Stage Approach for Location Selection and Routing of Reverse Vending Machines Using the Entropy-Based QUALIFLEX Method

Abstract

Nowadays, the need for recycling is increasing rapidly due to the waste generated because of increasing consumption. Recycling plays an important role in waste minimization. Therefore, the location of Reverse Vending Machines (RVM) is also an important issue in access, reducing transport costs and the efficiency of the process. In this context, the site selection problem for the RVM and the Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem (CVRP) are considered in this study. A twostage approach for the location selection and capacitated vehicle routing of the RVM is proposed. In the first stage, a novel integrated approach entropy based QUALIFLEX method is proposed to determine the best clustering. All clustering models were solved using the GAMS/CPLEX solver. The criteria used in clustering are weighed with the entropy method. Then, different clustering models were ranked with the QUALIFLEX method. In the second stage, using the results of this clustering, the best route was determined in the CVRP. The proposed integrated approach was tested on real case data from the Gaziantep province and a literature dataset. The test results showed that the proposed integrated approach is valid and usable.

Keywords

• Clustering
• Entropy
• Location-allocation
• Reverse Vending Machine
• QUALIFLEX
• Vehicle Routing

References

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