Decision Support Model to Select the Optimal Municipal Solid Waste Management Policy at United States Air Force Installations

Book excerpt: The United States Air Force has recently defined three objectives in developing strategies regarding the management of municipal solid waste at the base level. They are: (1) 50 percent reduction in total waste generated, from a 1992 baseline amount, by 1999; (2) 50 percent recycling of all waste generated, beginning in 1999; and, (3) a minimum cost program. With these objectives in mind, base environmental engineers must take appropriate actions in an effort to develop a program that meets these goals. Through consultations with base environmental managers, as well as research of the available literature, a decision support model was constructed to aid the decision maker in selecting a program that shows the best performance relative to these objectives. This model considers decisions regarding waste collection methods, waste reduction methods, and waste incineration. Sensitivity analysis is used to determine the most important variables in the model. Finally, the model and resulting analysis provide the decision makers with valuable insight concerning the selection and implementation of a municipal solid waste management policy.