Optimal siting of solid waste-to-value-added facilities through a GIS-based assessment

Siting a solid waste conversion facility requires an assessment of solid waste availability as well as ensuring compliance with environmental, social, and economic factors. The main idea behind this study was to develop a methodology to locate suitable locations for waste conversion facilities considering waste availability as well as environmental and social constraints. A geographic information system (GIS) spatial analysis was used to identify the most suitable areas and to screen out unsuitable lands. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used for a multi-criteria evaluation of relative preferences of different environmental and social factors. A case study was conducted for Alberta, a western province in Canada, by performing a province-wide waste availability assessment. The total available waste considered in this study was 4,077,514tonnes/year for 19 census divisions collected from 79 landfills. Finally, a location-allocation analysis was performed to determine suitable locations for 10 waste conversion facilities across the province. [Display omitted] •A GIS-based optimization approach was proposed for waste conversion facility sting.•Exclusion, preference, and location-allocation analyses were conducted.•Weights were assigned to different parameters using the Analytic Hierarchy Process.•The proposed approach can help waste management decision-making in any jurisdiction.