Abstract:
The determination of suitable solid waste transfer station sites location has become indispensable
in recent years as the global generation of waste has increased and the use of unsuitable solid waste
transfer station sites location results in negative impacts on the ecosystem and economic. One of
the main issues with waste management is choosing a suitable location for a solid waste transfer
station. The process of selecting where to locate solid waste transfer stations is challenging and
complex because it involves balancing cost considerations that require resource allocation with
difficult to interpret social and environmental issues. The aim of this study was optimize the solid
waste management system considering social, environmental and economical factors when
selecting solid waste transfer stations. The selecting process of solid waste transfer stations
location also depends on a number of restrictions. Based on the actual conditions of a case study,
twenty kebeles and four candidate alternative locations in the West, South, North and South-Este
region of Bahir dar city, the paper considered multiple factors such as geological, infrastructure,
morphological and social & environmental factors, calculating global priority weights using the
fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP). Subsequently, a new multi-objective facility location
problem model was evaluated, known as the combined of fuzzy analytical hierarchy process
(FAHP) and goal programing (GP) model, which integrates of FAHP and goal programing (GP).
The proposed method can assist in choosing new, suitable locations for solid waste transfer stations
through taking final priority weight objectives and total cost into consideration. It was based on
the source of data that collected from expert judgment view, observation and literatures of the case
study. The decision makers confirmed that these locations (L1, L2 and L3) are appropriate as new
locations for solid waste transfer stations, and they believed that the work can provide essential
support for decision makers in the assessment of location of solid waste transfer stations problems,
in this case study and other areas of the city. This research has the potential to influence future
waste management policies by assisting stakeholders in solid waste transfer station siting in a
manner that reduces negative impacts on the environment and economic.
Key words: MSW, FAHP, GP, FLP and municipal solid waste management system