A neutrosophic bi-level decision framework for addressing uncertainty in municipal solid waste management

Efficient management of municipal solid waste (MSW) is a major challenge due to uncertainties in waste generation, collection, treatment, and disposal. To address these complexities, this study proposes a novel bi-level decision-planning framework that integrates a Neutrosophic Compromise Programming Approach (NCPA). The upper-level decision focuses on minimizing system costs, while the lower level aims to maximize revenue, reflecting the hierarchical nature of waste management decisions. Unlike traditional crisp or fuzzy models, the neutrosophic framework effectively captures indeterminacy and inconsistency in real-world data, providing more robust and flexible solutions. A numerical case study demonstrates the practical applicability of the model, showing that the neutrosophic bi-level solution improves both cost efficiency and revenue generation compared to conventional approaches. The findings highlight the necessity and advantage of incorporating neutrosophic logic for sustainable and reliable waste management under uncertainty.