Management of plastic waste: A bibliometric mapping and analysis

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Waste Management
• Bibliometrics

Background:

• Plastic waste is a growing global concern, impacting ecosystems and human health.
• Effective management strategies are crucial to mitigate environmental damage.
• Bibliometric analysis offers insights into research trends and collaborations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of plastic waste management research.
• To identify key trends, influential countries, institutions, and authors in the field.
• To map the evolution of research topics over the last five years.

Main Methods:

• Data sourced from the Scopus database covering the last five years.
• Analysis using VOSviewer and Bibliometrix R-package software.
• Examination of scientific production, country/institutional contributions, sources, authors, and topic trends.

Main Results:

• A significant increase in publications on plastic waste management was observed.
• The People's Republic of China demonstrates substantial influence, leading in authors, publications, and institutions.
• Key research themes include plastic pollution in water bodies (microplastics) and socio-environmental issues.

Conclusions:

• Research on plastic waste management is rapidly expanding.
• China is a dominant force in this research area.
• Microplastic pollution and the development of recycling and circular economy solutions are critical focus areas.