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The Development of an IoT-Enabled Solid Waste Management System for a Smart City using Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem and Agent-Based Simulation
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1867614139921203200 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Monzambe, Magbiti Giovani |
| author2 | Bekker, James |
| author_browse | Bekker, James Monzambe, Magbiti Giovani |
| author_facet | Bekker, James Monzambe, Magbiti Giovani |
| author_sort | Monzambe, Magbiti Giovani |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/136153 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:47:17.937Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/136153 The Development of an IoT-Enabled Solid Waste Management System for a Smart City using Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem and Agent-Based Simulation Monzambe, Magbiti Giovani Bekker, James Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Industrial Engineering. Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. Monzambe, M. G. 2026. The Development of an IoT-Enabled Solid Waste Management System for a Smart City using Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem and Agent-Based Simulation. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/fe728188-287c-498d-9970-cab2ebdfb316 Human activities continuously generate waste, creating a need for efficient management systems. However, rapid urbanisation has outpaced existing infrastructure, causing overflowing bins, illegal dumping, and uncollected waste, especially in developing countries. Focusing on solid waste, this study proposes a smart Solid Waste Management System (SWMS) for urban environments to improve waste collection and disposal. Building on advances in technologies such as linear programming, simulation, and Internet-of-Things (IoT), the study aligns with governments’ efforts toward creating smart and connected cities in the era of the fourth industrial revolution. The study aimed to develop an IoT-enabled SWMS that minimises the total travel distance and CO2 emissions of waste collection trucks, thereby reducing overall collection and disposal costs. The study pursued three main objectives: (1) to propose a new architecture for a smart SWMS suited to developing cities; (2) to develop a simulation model for comparing the performance of the conventional and the proposed systems; and (3) to formulate a mathematical model to optimise truck scheduling and routing by minimising total travel distance and CO2 emissions. The proposed smart system was designed through a methodological review of recent technologies, scientific studies, and waste management challenges in developing countries. An agent-based model was then developed in Any-Logic to simulate and analyse its performance. The model underwent validation and verification through conceptual, continuity, and absurdity tests, all yielding positive results. A parameter variation experiment confirmed the system’s superior performance over the conventional approach. Finally, a Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem (CVRP) model was formulated in Pyomo and solved using IBM CPLEX solver with the Branch and Cut algorithm to minimise total travel distance and CO2 emissions. The results show that the proposed smart system can reduce the total waste collection truck travel distance by 53.5% and that for every 100 km avoided, a city implementing the smart system could lower its CO2 emissions by 74 kg. On the other hand, the study demonstrated that the mathematical model could further reduce the total travel distance by 7% and CO2 emissions by 28%, while reducing the total travel time and maximising truck utilisation. It could therefore be concluded that waste collection trucks in developing cities, where a conventional collection system, based on a fixed collection schedule, is still employed, spend more than 40% of their time making unnecessary trips, resulting in significant cost implications. The main contributions of this study include the development of the system architecture of the smart SWMS, the development of a new agent-based simulation model, and a new CVRP model for the optimisation of the collection trucks’ scheduling and routing. Potential avenues for future research include examining additional factors influencing waste management, such as seasonal variations in waste generation, sensor reliability, internet connectivity for communication infrastructure, and traffic conditions. Furthermore, the mathematical model could be extended to address alternative objectives such as minimising the number of vehicles deployed, balancing route workloads, reducing overall costs, and minimising delays. Doctoral 2026-04-23T12:47:13Z 2026-04-23T12:47:13Z 2026-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/136153 en Stellenbosch University 197 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Monzambe, Magbiti Giovani The Development of an IoT-Enabled Solid Waste Management System for a Smart City using Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem and Agent-Based Simulation |
| title | The Development of an IoT-Enabled Solid Waste Management System for a Smart City using Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem and Agent-Based Simulation |
| title_full | The Development of an IoT-Enabled Solid Waste Management System for a Smart City using Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem and Agent-Based Simulation |
| title_fullStr | The Development of an IoT-Enabled Solid Waste Management System for a Smart City using Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem and Agent-Based Simulation |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Development of an IoT-Enabled Solid Waste Management System for a Smart City using Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem and Agent-Based Simulation |
| title_short | The Development of an IoT-Enabled Solid Waste Management System for a Smart City using Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem and Agent-Based Simulation |
| title_sort | development of an iot enabled solid waste management system for a smart city using capacitated vehicle routing problem and agent based simulation |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/136153 |
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