An optimization approach for food waste management system based on technical integration under different Water/Grease proportions

Large quantities of food waste challenge sustainable development and there is significant value in the proper treatment of such waste. There are several food waste treatment technologies available, and food waste valorization requires planning for the collection, transportation, pre-treatment, treatment, and product sales. Managers need comprehensive system management objectives and strategies to promote the circular economy. To determine the optimal network design for food waste management systems, this paper develops a multi-objective mixed integer non-linear model from economic, energy, environmental, and social perspectives that integrates different treatment technologies into the three-phase separation pre-treatment. The proposed model was applied to a food waste management system in Chongqing, China, and the effects of different decision preferences of the managers, the water and grease proportion in the food waste on the optimization results were analyzed and discussed. It was found that different grease and water proportions influenced the optimal application of the technologies and system management decisions. With a 10% to 15% grease proportion, composting was seen to be more suitable than incineration or anaerobic digestion treatments, and the simultaneous application of multiple technologies was seen to be beneficial for food waste management systems.