Sustainable selection of waste collection trucks considering feasible future scenarios by applying the stratified best and worst method

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management is vital in achieving sustainable development goals. It is a complex activity embracing collection, transport, recycling, and disposal; and whose man-agement depends on proper strategic decision-making. The use of decision support methods such as multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) is widespread in MSW management. However, their application mainly focuses on selecting plant locations and the best technologies for waste treatment. Despite the critical role played by transport in promoting sustainability, MCDM has seldom been applied for the selection of sustainable transport alternatives in the field of MSW management. There are a few MCDM studies about choosing waste collection vehicles, but none that include the most recent green vehicles among the options or consider feasible future sce-narios. In this article, different engine technologies for collection trucks (diesel, compressed natural gas (CNG), hybrid CNG-electric, electric, and hydrogen) are evaluated under sustain -ability criteria in a Spanish city by applying the stratified best and worst method (SBWM). This method enables considering the uncertainty associated with future events to establish various feasible scenarios. The results show that the best-valued options are electric and diesel trucks, in that order, followed by CNG and hybrid CNG-electric, and with hydrogen-powered trucks coming last. The SBWM has proven helpful in defining a comprehensive framework for selecting the most suitable engine technology to support long-term MSW collection. Considering sustainability among the criteria and feasible future scenarios in waste management collection decision-making provides more comprehensive and conclusive results that help managers and policymakers make better informed and more reliable decisions.

Automated summary

Municipal solid waste management is important for achieving sustainable development goals, but the application of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) in this field mainly focuses on selecting waste treatment technologies and facility locations, with little research on sustainable transport alternatives. This study evaluates different engine technologies for waste collection trucks under sustainability criteria in a Spanish city using the stratified best and worst method (SBWM). The results show that electric and diesel trucks are the best options, followed by compressed natural gas (CNG) and hybrid CNG-electric trucks, with hydrogen-powered trucks ranking last.