An Improved Bi-Objective Stochastic Model with SAA-based Solution Method for Reverse Logistics Design of Hazardous Materials

摘要

Nowadays, the unprecedented advancement in technology and rapid development of economy have not only brought opportunities for improving people's living standards but also resulted in a tremendous increase on waste generation. The treatment of hazardous materials from both industrial sectors and households has become one of the most significant challenges in waste management. Because of the negative impact on the environment and the safety issues posed to the nearby residents, the design of a hazardous material management system is, however, a complicated decision-making problem. Thence, an improved bi-objective stochastic model is proposed to design a single-product multistage reverse logistics system for hazardous materials under uncertainties from different input information. Moreover, a sample average approximation (SAA) based solution method is also proposed so as to find out the Pareto optimal solutions to the model under a stochastic environment. The results of the numerical experimentations illustrate the tradeoff between economic efficiency and system risk in reverse logistics design of hazardous materials. In addition, the impact from uncertainties related to the input information is also revealed.