Agent-Based Model for End-of-Life Product Flow Analysis

Alexandre Labelle and Jean-Marc Frayret
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Alexandre Labelle: Département de Mathématiques et Génie Industriel, École Polytechnique de Montréal, 2900 Boulevard Edouard-Montpetit, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
Jean-Marc Frayret: Département de Mathématiques et Génie Industriel, École Polytechnique de Montréal, 2900 Boulevard Edouard-Montpetit, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada

Resources, 2018, vol. 7, issue 3, 1-20

Abstract: This paper presents an agent-based simulation model for end-of-life product flow analysis in recuperation and recycling supply networks that focuses on individual consumer behaviors. The simulation model is applied to a deposit-return program on wine bottles that could be developed in the province of Quebec. Canadian data was used to calibrate and validate the model. A series of experiments was then conducted with three artificial populations to analyse how they would react to several implementation scenarios of this end-of-life product flow strategy. The results suggest that the distance to the nearest depot is an important decision factor, but less predominant than the ownership of a private vehicle and the deposit value. The results also indicate that the use of agent-based modeling combined with the theory of planned behavior (TPB) can produce modular behavior models, that are intuitive and simple, to better understand consumer-behavior-driven supply chains. Such models can be used to give insights to decision-makers and policy-makers about the potential performance of end-of-life product flows strategies and further facilitate efficient resource management.

Keywords: municipal solid waste; consumer behavior; agent-based modeling; simulation; deposit-return program; end-of-life product flow; recycling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jresou:v:7:y:2018:i:3:p:42-:d:157708

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