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Mapping Three Decades of Municipal Solid Waste Management Research: A Bibliometric Analysis of Trends, Hotspots, and Future Directions

Authors

  • Nida Rabab

    School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
    Author

  • Muhammad Safar Korai

    Institute of Environmental Engineering and Management (IEEM), Mehran University of Engineering & Technology (MUET), Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan
    Author

  • Zeeshan Khan

    Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre (AMTEC), Faculty of Chemical & Energy Engineering (FCEE), University Technology Malaysia Johor Bahru (UTMJB), Block N29a, 81310 Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
    Author

  • Anees Ahmed Vighio

    Civil Engineering Department, Mehran University of Engineering & Technology (MUET), Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan
    Author

  • Rasool Bux Mahar

    US-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Water (USPCAS-W), Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET), Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan
    Author

  • Muhammad Yousaf Raza Taseer

    Department of Structure and Materials, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), 81310, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
    Author

  • Nishan-E-Hyder Soomro

    School of Management and Economics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China
    Author

  • Haniya Batool Ansari

    School of Business, Zhengzhou University, China
    Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22581/0543

Keywords:

Bibliometric Analysis, Collaboration Networks, Web of Science, Environmental Management, Science Mapping

Abstract

Municipal solid waste has emerged as a critical global challenge, with annual generation of 2.2 billion tonnes/year and is expected to increase to 3.4 billion metric tonnes by 2050. This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of municipal solid waste research over three decades (1995–2025) using 20,438 articles from the Web of Science Core Collection. Employing CiteSpace and Bibliometrix for science mapping, the analysis examines research gaps, institutional collaborations, and methodological developments. The findings reveal three evolutionary phases such as foundation (1995–2005), development (2006–2015), and transition & innovation (2016–2025), with exponential publication growth after 2015. Environmental Science & Technology and Waste Management emerged as the most influential journals. Geographically, India and China dominate research productivity, reflecting waste management challenges in rapidly urbanizing economies. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, and Korea University lead institutional contributions. Keyword analysis identifies food waste, heavy metals, sewage sludge, and life cycle assessment as persistent hotspots, with emerging frontiers in circular economy, waste-to-energy, pyrolysis, and artificial intelligence. Methodological comparison reveals a paradigm shift toward hybrid approaches that overcome the limitations of individual methods. Co-citation cluster analysis delineates five thematic domains such as waste characterization, vegetation contamination, transportation optimization, and thermal treatment. Critical research gaps include scalable valorization technologies, integrating circular economy and mathematical modeling, and digitalization through artificial intelligence. The study provides researchers, policymakers, and practitioners with a comprehensive roadmap of the evolution of municipal solid waste research, current frontiers, and future trajectories essential for transitioning toward sustainable waste management and circular economy paradigms.

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Published

2026-10-01

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Vol. 45 No. 4 (2026): October Issue

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Mapping Three Decades of Municipal Solid Waste Management Research: A Bibliometric Analysis of Trends, Hotspots, and Future Directions. (2026). Mehran University Research Journal of Engineering and Technology, 45(4), 58-83. https://doi.org/10.22581/0543

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