Abstract – The problem of the solid waste collection is becoming one of the most important applications addressed as Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows (VRPTW). This paper presents a solution of a large scale vehicle routing problem for the waste collection in Alexandria city in Egypt. A GIS based model is developed and the VRPTW is solved using TransCAD® software. Different scenarios were developed and compared. The case was solved with three clustering scenarios and without clustering. The results showed superiority of clustering based scenarios over the solution without clustering. The developed model is used as a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) that allows investigating different scenarios for solid waste collection vehicle routing and improving the overall logistics performance of such systems. Keywords – Decision Support System, Geographic Information System, Vehicle Routing Problem. I. INTRODUCTION Waste collection is a highly recognized municipal service that involves operational, tactical and strategic decisions that are a vital part of any city public service. Major portion of the expenditure in these systems is regarded to the distribution and logistics in the waste collection. Two main types of waste can be found, either it is a solid waste generation or medical or hazardous waste generation that after the appropriate treatment will become in itself a normal solid type of waste. This paper focuses on the solid waste generation type. On the other hand, the advancement in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) changed the directions of research in many areas. In particular, in modeling the distribution networks with the vast amount of applications associated with it. Entities concerned with the routing of vehicles became even keener to invest in such tools to be able to have more accurate detailed information about the logistics networks. Hence, the optimization models are being more representing of the real world than the past assumptions were. Waste collection vehicle routing is one of the applications that took advantage of the advancement in GIS tools. Not only for the increased awareness towards the environmental concerns, but equally important is the concern on the public health as well. On the other hand, the rapid growth in population around the world, especially in the developing countries, with the natural consequence of having a rapid increase in the waste generations have taken major focus of research into waste collection management miscellaneous issues and problems. Nonetheless, there are lots of tough challenges when it comes to the waste collection in Egypt. Egypt doesn’t have a municipal solid waste management law. It only has scattered pieces of legislation as a legal framework of solid waste management [1]. More importantly, one of the most difficult issues is being faced here in Egypt is not having a reliable digital map of the roads, services and facilities for each city in Egypt, which makes the GIS advanced technologies difficult to apply. Consequently, huge amount of geocoding efforts was done in this work to bring the map used in this work live and usable. The objective is to use GIS and vehicle routing models to develop improved waste collection plans that will increase the efficiency of collection and yet reduce the cost in travel distance and time. An important side effect is the reduction of emissions and roads congestion. II. LITERATURE REVIEW In the recent decade, waste management and waste collection issues took the attention not only of the governments but the attention of researchers as well. This is mainly is due to the rapid increase in waste generation especially in the developing countries. A significant number of articles are published in the area considering the vehicle routing problem with time windows as one of the major issues in waste collection management. There is a dilemma of not visiting a collection point too early before a certain amount of waste is gathered as it is considered a waste of the vehicle’ operational cost including the driver’s time and visiting a collection point after the time specified that will generate too much waste that will impose hazardous effect on its surrounding area and this is also unacceptable. Hence, not only time windows consideration is a critical issue, but also updating the routes for the waste collection easily and frequently is of a critical issue. Thereupon, providing decision support system (DSS) for the waste collection organization is becoming a necessity. Consequently, the advances in GIS have made a great impact in such applications. Several publications made use of these tools in developing waste collection. In an attempt to reduce the fuel consumption and atmospheric pollutant emissions, Tavares et al. [2] used 3D GIS for the optimization of the municipal solid waste collection routes. The 3D-GIS had significant benefit in their case WASTE COLLECTION VEHICLE ROUTING PROBLEM: CASE STUDY IN ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT A. Moustafa 1 , A. A. Abdelhalim 2 , A. B. Eltawil 2 , N. Fors 3 1 Nahdet Misr for Modern Environmental Services, Alexandria, Egypt 2 Industrial Engineering & Systems Management department, Egypt Japan University of Science & Technology, POBox 179, New Borg El-Arab City 21934, Alexandria, Egypt 3 Production Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University, Egypt (amani.mostafa@nahdetmisr.com.eg), (alyaa.adel@ejust.edu.eg), (eltawil@ejust.edu.eg), (fors@dataxprs.com.eg)