Optimizing landfilling fees for construction waste: A dynamic multi-objective optimization approach balancing environmental and economic performance

Construction waste management is a complex and dynamic process involving multiple stakeholders, including contractors who prioritize economic profits and government entities that emphasize environmental sustainability. Effective waste management requires balancing both economic and environmental performance, with landfilling fees playing a crucial role in influencing carbon emissions and overall costs. This paper develops a dynamic multi-objective model that simulates the environmental and economic performance of construction waste management from 2010 to 2030, aiming to determine the optimal landfilling fees. First, a system dynamics model is generated to investigate how variations in landfilling fees are influenced by other factors and how these variations impact simulation outcomes. Then, based on the simulation results of five scenarios, the optimal scenarios were identified through a multi-objective optimization approach. The results show that in the optimal scenario, the landfilling fee is 1000 yuan per ton, with a landfilling rate of 22.96%, a recycling rate of 76.77%, and an illegal dumping rate of 0.27%. This scenario results in a reduction of carbon emissions by 9.1303 × 10⁹ tons compared to expected levels, with the overall cost amounting to 20.8443 × 10¹² yuan. This paper can guide policymakers in developing optimal landfilling fees that balance government requirements with contractors' interests.