A Generalized Fuzzy Integer Programming Approach for Environmental Management under Uncertainty

In this study, a generalized fuzzy integer programming (GFIP) method is developed for planning waste allocation and facility expansion under uncertainty. The developed method can (i) deal with uncertainties expressed as fuzzy sets with known membership functions regardless of the shapes (linear or nonlinear) of these membership functions, (ii) allow uncertainties to be directly communicated into the optimization process and the resulting solutions, and (iii) reflect dynamics in terms of waste-flow allocation and facility-capacity expansion. A stepwise interactive algorithm (SIA) is proposed to solve the GFIP problem and generate solutions expressed as fuzzy sets. The procedures of the SIA method include (i) discretizing the membership function grade of fuzzy parameters into a set of alpha-cut levels; (ii) converting the GFIP problem into an inexact mixed-integer linear programming (IMILP) problem under each alpha-cut level; (iii) solving the IMILP problem through an interactive algorithm; and (iv) approximating the membership function for decision variables through statistical regression methods. The developed GFIP method is applied to a municipal solid waste (MSW) management problem to facilitate decision making on waste flow allocation and waste-treatment facilities expansion. The results, which are expressed as discrete or continuous fuzzy sets, can help identify desired alternatives for managing MSW under uncertainty.