Optimizing site selection for construction and demolition waste resource treatment plants using a hesitant neutrosophic set: a case study in Xiamen, China

The site selection of construction and demolition waste resource treatment plants is a complicated multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) issue of 'not in my back yard' (NIMBY) facilities, which is affected by spatial, economic, societal, environmental and other factors. Traditional site selection MCDM methods expose the shortcomings of evaluation information representation and spatial factor analysis. This study develops an optimized MCDM site selection method in a hesitant neutrosophic set (HNS) environment, capable of effectively handling uncertainty and fully incorporating spatial considerations. The innovation of this research lies in integrating HNS into MCDM, combined with geographic information system technology, revised DEMATEL-based analytic network process method, cosine similarity and Euclidean distance similarity measures. A case study in Xiamen, China, validates this method's effectiveness, and sensitivity analysis and comparative studies demonstrate its superior stability, robustness and resolution. The main contribution of this study is the development of an MCDM optimization method for siting large-scale NIMBY facilities.