Bi-Level Decision-Making Approach for GHG Emissions Control and Municipal Solid Waste Management under Parameter Uncertainty: A Case Study in Beijing, China

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from municipal solid waste (MSW) management significantly contribute to high global warming potential (GWP). However, most studies have failed to facilitate identifying MSW management schemes capable of comprehensively meeting the goals from decision-makers at different hierarchical levels under uncertainties. This study develops an inexact bi-level linear programming (IBLP) model for collaborative control of GHG emissions and waste management in Beijing: MGU-MCL. The MGU-MCL model implies a leader-follower decision process, with the environmental sector providing the upper-level objective and the local authority dominating the lower-level objective. Then, an interactive fuzzy possiblistic approach is introduced to represent the satisfactory degrees of different decision-making levels. Results show that the MGU-MCL model decisions would reduce GHG emissions by about 9%, but increase management costs by 4% compared with the decisions from conventional models; the contribution of the landfill facilities to GHG emissions would be predominant, especially methane emissions; while the composting and incineration facilities would account for a large proportion of management cost. Further comparative analysis among the bi-level and single-level models indicates that the bi-level model could provide coordinated schemes under an integrated consideration of economic efficiency and environmental impact.