The Impact of IoT-Enabled Routing Optimization on Waste Collection Distance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Waste collection is a critical logistical challenge in urban management, and while Internet of Things (IoT) technologies are increasingly used to optimize collection routes, a systematic, quantitative synthesis of their impact is lacking. This study aims to bridge this gap by quantifying the effect of IoT-enabled routing optimization on waste collection distances. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis following the PRISMA protocol, searching the Scopus, IEEE Xplore, and ACM Digital Library databases. This process yielded 11 eligible studies, providing 21 distinct samples for quantitative synthesis. Results: The analysis reveals that IoT-enabled routing optimization reduces collection distance by a combined average of 21.51%. A significant disparity was found between study types, with simulation-based approaches reporting higher reductions (−39.79%) compared to real-world deployments (−12.37%). No statistically significant performance differences were observed across different routing algorithm categories or Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) variants. Conclusions: These findings provide robust quantitative evidence of the significant efficiency gains from implementing IoT-based smart waste management systems. The gap between simulated and real-world results underscores the need for practitioners to set realistic expectations, while our analysis supports the adoption of these technologies for more sustainable urban logistics.