Circular economy strategy and waste management: a bibliometric analysis in its contribution to sustainable development, toward a post-COVID-19 era

A descriptive analysis of 416 documents was performed using bibliometric techniques, in order to gather existing knowledge in circular economy focusing on waste management (2007–2020). The results of this study indicate that annual scientific production increased 94% in the last 5 years, highlighting the countries of Italy, Spain, the UK, China, Brazil, and India. Between the most cited documents stand out those related to calorific value of municipal solid waste and waste to energy technologies for achieving circular economy systems. The conceptual analysis indicates strong linkage between circular economy and sustainable production, waste management, and recycling. Emerging research trends evolved from processes and industry-oriented approach (2017) toward waste management, recycling, and circular economy (2019) and sustainable development and urban solid waste (2020). The analysis reveals five dominant circular economy and waste research themes: (1) greenhouse gases; (2) circular economy, waste management, and recycling; (3) life cycle; (4) waste treatment; and (5) anaerobic digestion and recovery; trends research are related to policy interventions, and enforcement of authorities’ regulations to foster circular economy transition, increase the use of practices of recycling and reusing, as well as discourage a growing consumption culture. Results found denote the challenge represented by the implementation of comprehensive policies in circular economy. The above being a key alternative for green recovery in response to the current COVID-19 pandemic.