Analysis and visualization of deficiencies and challenges in the waste collection system of the Stockholm archipelago

Abstract: The objective of this thesis is to document and visualize the unique characteristics of thewaste collection and transportation system in the Stockholm archipelago of Sweden froma geopolitical and logistics perspective.So far there has been no extensive study of the waste management system in the area andthis report aims to document the work and act as a basis for further research and futuredevelopment.The archipelago is unique from a geolocation perspective as it consists of many islands ofdifferent sizes, with varying degrees of infrastructural development and residential housing,as well as varying distances between them. Sweden follows several unique policies andguidelines in the way they deal with waste collection, such as that the municipalities haveto an equal level of service to every tax-paying household within their administrativeborders. The waste management system is complex due to the large number of actorspartaking in operations and the unique attributes of each of the municipalities involved.To collect information on the subject interviews were conducted with different actors thatagreed to share their knowledge and experience working on the field. The content on theinterviews is presented and evaluated in the report against theoretical concepts of thelogistics and supply chain management field. Moreover, geospatial data were collectedfrom open sources to perform spatial and data analysis and highlight the unique spatialcharacteristics of the islands and the infrastructure in the archipelago and the spatialrelationships between them. The data gathered after undergoing editing were compiled intoa spatial database that can be used in future projects.The spatial characteristics of the islands in the archipelago are presented through a set ofmaps and spatial statistics reports created in a GIS software. The main strengths andweaknesses of the waste management system in the archipelago are presented in the formof analytical content. They are used as a basis to propose future improvements to the wastemanagement operations and planning and suggest future projects in regards to collectingmore comprehensive data for the archipelago area, as well as to help decrease the cost,time and environmental impact of the operations.