An Approximate Dynamic Programming Approach for a Routing Problem with Simultaneous Pick-Ups and Deliveries in Urban Areas

This chapter addresses vehicle routing problems with simultaneous pickups and deliveries, and time-dependent vehicle speeds, particularly confronted in the soft-drink distribution in urban areas. The conducted review provides a state-of-the-art assessment of the literature on soft-drink supply chain to reveal the recent developments. Furthermore, a real-life case is examined to address a common reverse logistics problem of collecting/reusing the reusable empty soda bottles encountered in the soft-drink industry. The problem has been formulated and solved by means of an adaptation of a recent Approximate Dynamic Programming based optimisation algorithm. The study highlights a great potential of sustainable supply chain management practices in the field. The study could be useful not only for researchers studying the topic, but also for practitioners in the soft-drink industry.