Decoding Global Research Trajectories in Environmental Waste Management: A Bibliometric Study

AbstractEnvironmental waste management has emerged as a critical global challenge in the face of rapid urbanisation, industrialisation, and population growth. This study conducts a bibliometric analysis of research publications on environmental waste management from 2015 to 2025, using the Scopus database. Tools such as VOSviewer are employed to map keyword co-occurrence, author collaboration, and country evolution. Major research hotspots include solid waste recycling, plastic waste reduction, circular economy models, waste-to-energy technologies, and hazardous waste treatment. The study highlights the dominance of contributions from China, the United States, and India, alongside growing collaborations among European institutions. By providing a comprehensive overview of intellectual structures and emerging themes, this study offers valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to strengthen sustainable waste management strategies.