Citation: Reis, W.F.; Barreto, C.G.; Capelari, M.G.M. Circular Economy and Solid Waste Management: Connections from a Bibliometric Analysis. Sustainability 2023, 15, 15715. https://doi.org/10.3390/ su152215715 Academic Editor: Fausto Cavallaro Received: 4 September 2023 Revised: 26 October 2023 Accepted: 3 November 2023 Published: 8 November 2023 Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). sustainability Article Circular Economy and Solid Waste Management: Connections from a Bibliometric Analysis Wender Freitas Reis * , Cristiane Gomes Barreto and Mauro Guilherme Maidana Capelari Sustainable Development Center, University of Brasília, Brasília 70910-900, Brazil; crisbarreto@unb.br (C.G.B.); mauro.cappellaro@unb.br (M.G.M.C.) * Correspondence: reiswender@gmail.com Abstract: The aim of this study is to conduct a meta-analysis of the research published between 2012 and 2022 on solid waste management (SWM) and the circular economy (CE) using bibliometrics. To this end, the Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases were used as sources of publications. Processing was conducted using the R language version 4.2.2 and the Bibliometrix software package version 4.1.2. A theoretical basis was built on the terms in order to present their interactions in the context of scientific debate. The results show that there is a need to create indicators to facilitate the evaluation of SWM. They can be identified from the data collected during the management process. Examples include the volume of material collected, operating costs, and recycling rates. Indicators are important in the waste management process because they help quantify the effectiveness of the management practices adopted, help to identify areas that need improvement, and make it possible to monitor the progress of work over time and the achievement of previously set targets. Two other important results are the maximization of the use of resources by increasing the useful life of the product and the emergence of new sustainable business models with recycling as a driving force. Finally, and perhaps the most disruptive discovery, is the integration of SWM and CE with blockchain technology to reduce the levels of waste production. This shows how new technologies can be used as partners in solving complex problems, such as solid waste (SW). Keywords: circular economy; solid waste management; R language; bibliometrics 1. Introduction In 2016, the world generated approximately 2.01 billion tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) and is expected to produce 3.40 billion by the year 2050 [1]. This problem is related to the waste promoted by modern society as a result of the linear economic model [2], which is considered to be the main cause of the depletion of natural resources [3]. Population [4], urban growth, and consumption growth [5] are factors that burden the economy with disproportionately high levels of waste flows, generating waste management costs and limiting the ability to properly dispose of these materials. This leads to the pollution of water bodies, the spread of disease, an increase in greenhouse gases, the contamination of groundwater [6], and the exhaustion of landfills due to the high per capita production of waste [7]. As a result, due to new consumer societies and the constant pace of industrial activity, emissions into the environment and the generation of solid waste are becoming increasingly serious problems [8]. The need to ensure sustainable production and consumption patterns has been recog- nized in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically in Goal 12.5, which aims to “significantly reduce waste generation through conservation, reduction, recycling and reuse by 2030” [9]. This intention is in line with the proposal of the CE, a concept that has great poten- tial for more sustainable development practices by seeking solutions to the problems of production, consumption, and waste [10]. Sustainability 2023, 15, 15715. https://doi.org/10.3390/su152215715 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability