Journal of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination

Real-Time Monitoring and Route Optimization for Waste Collection Using IoT in Pakistan

Prof. Omar Raza

Department of Computer Science, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Lahore, Pakistan

Sara Mahmood

Department of Urban Planning, Karachi Institute of Technology & Entrepreneurship (KITE), Karachi, Pakistan

Keywords: route optimization, waste collection, smart bins, LPWAN, GIS, real-time monitoring

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Abstract

This paper investigates an integrated Internet of Things (IoT)-based system for real-time monitoring and route optimization of municipal solid waste (MSW) collection in Pakistan’s urban environments. The proposed framework combines sensor-equipped smart bins, low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) connectivity, GPS-enabled collection vehicles, and a cloud-based analytics platform to dynamically optimize collection routes, reduce operational costs, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and improve service levels. We evaluate system performance through simulations and a pilot deployment scenario using realistic urban parameters for Pakistani cities. Results indicate potential reductions in total distance traveled and fuel consumption by 20–35% compared to fixed-route schedules, and improved bin overflow incidents by over 70%. The study discusses technical, economic, and social implementation challenges specific to Pakistan and proposes policy recommendations for scalable roll-out.