Optimization of carton recycling site selection using particle swarm optimization algorithm considering residents’ recycling willingness

With the development of the express delivery industry, how to increase the recycling rate of waste cartons has become a problem that needs to be solved. Recycling enterprises began to provide the new recycling mode, door-to-door recycling services, to residents with waste cartons. In this article, we constructed a site selection model for a carton recycling site with the aim of maximizing total profits. Considering the residents’ recycling willingness and the government subsidy earned through the contribution to carbon emission reduction, this model achieves the task of site selection and unit price fixation for carton recycling. We used the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm to solve the model and compared it with the genetic algorithm (GA) for validity testing. PSO algorithm was also used to carry out sensitivity analysis in this model. The proposed model and the results of the sensitivity analysis can be used for decision-making in recycling enterprises as well as for further research on waste recycling and reverse logistics.