Thematic mapping of circular economy of waste management in developing countries: Challenges and future perspectives

As waste formation rates rising and environmental sustainability becoming more and more important, the circular economy (CE) offers a revolutionary method to waste management, especially in developing countries. This study assesses waste management's role in the CE using bibliometrics of 148 articles published in developing countries between 2013 and 15 February 2024. Bibliometric data analysed using Scopus tools and VOSviewer and R Biblioshiny packages. The result show that the number of publications gradually increased during study periods. Findings also indicated that waste management, municipal waste management, recycling and sustainable development represent the current CE 'hotspots'. The conceptual analysis indicates strong linkage between CE, developing countries and sustainable development from key findings. A CE in waste management is a significant opportunity to reduce waste and promote environmental sustainability by implementing circular principles in developing countries. Subsequently, developing countries should benefit from CE practices through new economic opportunities, reducing environmental impact, emerging technology and improving resource efficiency. Likewise, this study provides insights into potential pathways for enhancing CE initiatives in waste management, emphasizing the importance of collaborative efforts, policy frameworks and community engagement.