Identification of Household Solid Waste Collection Zones in the Commune of Quinta Normal in Santiago, Chile

Abstract

There has been a significant increase in municipal solid waste worldwide, and thus, different public policies and targets have been established to improve the environment, which have presented a significant challenge in the efficiency of the waste collection process. Currently, municipalities in Chile do not have sufficient information to plan waste collection adequately to reduce the high costs incurred in this process. This study aims to analyze real data from the household solid waste collection system in the commune of Quinta Normal in Santiago, Chile. This data include measurements captured by GPS equipment mounted on a fleet of waste collection vehicles, as well as weighing records of these vehicles at the KDM transfer center, where the collected waste is disposed of. As a result of the integration of this data, 119 service zones were identified in the municipality for six collection days (Monday to Saturday), each with its respective annual household solid waste generation. These results contribute to improving the planning of household solid waste collection in Quinta Normal and thereby, optimizing bin locations and collection routes, and generating relevant spatial data related to household solid waste collection.