From cost-centering to sustainability: A review of Pollution Routing Problems

Recent studies on Vehicle Routing Problems (VRP) have substantially expanded to incorporate environmental considerations into transportation planning. Traditionally, the predominant objectives in transportation optimization revolved around reducing costs, time, or distance. However, with the increasing significance of sustainability and the management of environmental costs, logistics service providers and retailers have shifted their attention to greening their operations. In light of this, the Pollution-Routing Problem (PRP) has emerged to harmonize economic and environmental facets of transportation efforts. Despite the extensive research on the problem, there exists a notable absence of systematic reviews. As such, this review article sheds light on the evolution of the problem literature from its introduction in 2011 to 2024, reviewing 75 papers. In this study, the research on the PRP is categorized based on the taxonomy, objective function, and methodologies applied throughout the years. Finally, we pinpoint several areas of potential exploration that will serve as a blueprint for future research directions.