Urban Waste: Visualizing the Academic Literature through Bibliometric Analysis and Systematic Review

The management of solid urban waste is one of the biggest problems currently faced by society and the economy. It can be considered a negative externality that arises as a consequence of the production and consumption processes of industry and society. This study consists of a bibliometric analysis to recognize the articles published and included in high-impact scientific journals, as well as a systematic review of the literature. We have collected 1897 research articles from the Scopus database that have been published between 1981 and 2021. We have identified the main subject areas, authors, institutions, and countries of these publications, as well as research trends in terms of resource management. Our findings show that since the 20th century, there has been quantitative and qualitative growth in this line of research, especially since 2006, and that four main trends have been defined: environment, society, technical aspects, and economic aspects. The economic field makes reference to the circular economy and its link to the objectives and sustainable development goals of the 2030 agenda, in which there is an important need to provide solutions to the problems generated as a consequence of the inadequate management of solid waste.

Automated summary

The management of solid urban waste is a major challenge for society and the economy, resulting from production and consumption processes. This study conducts a bibliometric analysis and systematic review of literature to identify articles published in high-impact scientific journals. A total of 1897 research articles published between 1981 and 2021 were collected from the Scopus database. The findings reveal quantitative and qualitative growth in this research field since the 20th century, with four main trends identified: environment, society, technical aspects, and economic aspects. The economic aspect emphasizes the circular economy and its relevance to the objectives and sustainable development goals of the 2030 agenda, highlighting the need for solutions to problems caused by inadequate solid waste management.