The Optimization of Sustainable Reverse Logistics Network for Medical Waste

With the increase in the amount of medical waste, its inadequate disposal has emerged as a significant threat to environmental pollution and jeopardizes public health. This paper provides new ideas for the optimization of the medical waste reverse logistics network(MWRLN) from the perspective of sustainable supply chain management. First, a multilevel MWRLN is constructed, grounded in the classification criteria outlined in the Medical Waste Classification Catalog . Second, a multiobjective optimization model integrating economic, environmental, and social sustainability is developed and solved using the NSGA-III algorithm. Finally, validation in the Xi’an case study: 1) the multiobjective optimization proposed in this paper can provide scientific and comprehensive suggestions for the MWRLN; 2) compared with infectious waste-only networks, the proposed system reduces social sustainability by 55.58%, emphasizing the necessity of separate disposal of medical waste; and 3) during public health emergencies, the capacity of existing centralized disposal facilities can meet actual needs, but the capacity of storage centers is not enough to support the development of graded collection and transportation.