Otimização de rotas como uma ferramenta para redução de custos e emissões no transporte de resíduos: um estudo de caso da cidade de Sapucaia, RJ

Abstract

Efficient solid waste management is paramount for environmental preservation and public health. The collection and transportation phases play a pivotal role in solid waste management, often consuming up to 80% of all available resources. These costs stem from labor expenses, high fuel consumption, and vehicle maintenance. Furthermore, the intensive use of vehicles in these activities leads to significant energy consumption, atmospheric pollutant emissions, and increased urban congestion. Route planning can serve as a solution to mitigate both costs and emissions associated with this process. Route optimization, also known as the vehicle routing problem (VRP), offers a structured approach to route planning. This study aimed to develop a computational model for optimizing collection and transportation routes for a small Brazilian municipality, Sapucaia. The proposed optimization problem was addressed using two tools: the Open Source Routing Machine (OSRM) and the Vehicle Routing Open-source Optimization Machine (VROOM). Additionally, estimates of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting from fuel combustion during the process were calculated. For this purpose, a GHG emissions calculation methodology based on the Brazilian GHG Protocol was adopted. As a means to mitigate the impact of such emissions, the number of trees required to offset these emissions was also calculated. The results obtained through optimization demonstrated an 18% reduction in the distance traveled, compared to the current scenario. The reduction in distance traveled also reduced fuel consumption, resulting in an average annual saving of approximately R$ 17,000. The decrease in fuel consumption also reduced GHG emissions. Compared to the current scenario, equivalent CO2 emissions were approximately 18% lower when adopting the optimized routes. Moreover, it was found that approximately 214 trees would need to be planted to offset the average annual equivalent CO2 emissions generated in the process when adopting the optimized routes. If the collection scenario were not altered, 261 trees would be required to offset these emissions.