Optimization of Medical Waste Recycling Network Based on Variable Cycle Strategy

In this paper, we propose a variable cycle-based medical waste recycling network optimisation method to solve the problem of insufficient efficiency of the traditional fixed cycle strategy. A multi-period, multi-vehicle mixed-integer planning model combined with a genetic algorithm dynamically adjusts the collection cycle and vehicle routes to minimise the economic cost and deal with the uncertainty of waste generation. Example analyses of 30 healthcare facilities in Chongqing showed that the variable cycle strategy had significant reductions in both economic costs and environmental impacts, as well as good stability and applicability. This study provides an optimal solution for medical waste management and can be extended to real-time data-driven strategy design.