The Use of Indicators in the Regulation of Municipal Solid Waste Management: A Bibliometric Analysis (2004–2024)

The regulation of urban solid waste management services has become increasingly complex, requiring effective performance indicators for monitoring and evaluation. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis to understand how indicators are being used in solid waste management regulation worldwide. This research employed the Web of Science database to analyze scientific production from 2004 to 2024, using Biblioshiny 4.1 software for data processing and analysis. From 779 initially identified documents, 38 studies were selected and thoroughly analyzed. The results revealed a concentration of scientific production in European countries, with Portugal leading (20 publications), followed by Italy (12) and the Netherlands (7). The analysis identified 99 authors with an average of 3.26 co-authors per document and a 26.32% international co-authorship rate. The articles averaged 23.4 citations, indicating a significant academic impact. A keyword analysis revealed 132 terms, with “regulation”, “waste management”, and “efficiency” being the most prominent. The bibliographic coupling analysis demonstrated strong connections between regulation and efficiency, particularly in Portugal’s sunshine regulation model through ERSAR. This study highlights the need for standardized performance indicators in regulatory frameworks and suggests opportunities for increased international collaboration in developing effective monitoring systems for solid waste management services.