Abstract
This study analyses the role of the circular economy (CE) and solid waste management (SWM) in addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and establishes links to address challenges such as environmental degradation, resource depletion, and social inequality. Uncontrolled waste impacts the social, environmental, and economic well-being of households, communities, and businesses worldwide. Yet, a comprehensive review of how the integration of the CE into SWM can address the SDGs is still missing.
This work is important for managers and policymakers alike in that it is a complete analysis of how SWM and CE models can be employed to address the entire spectrum of the 17 SDGs. To achieve this, a systematic review of 64 English-language peer-reviewed articles is conducted and the key roles of social, economic and environmental sustainability in SWM and the CE are discussed. This careful selection aligns with state-of-the-art review methods and includes the most relevant and recent studies to give a clear and trustworthy overview of the topic.
The finding shows that SDG 12 (sustainable consumption and production), SDG 13 (climate action) and SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) have received top priority, identifying that waste management directly relates to environmental sustainability and reduces the climate footprint in urban and rural contexts. Social concerns regarding equality and income were found to be less discussed but promising avenues, especially in the Global South, which faces great challenges in implementing the CE in SWM. Moreover, our results indicate the potential of the CE in SWM to combine the reduction of environmental and health burdens with the creation of income opportunities. To make these results tangible, a framework presents how the reviewed literature relates three groups of CE principles to five groups of SDGs. Moreover, a two-level research agenda outlines four research avenues on strengthening social considerations, technological innovation, policy, and developing countries, as well as two transversal research directions on using a wider set of CE practices and methods.
This work is important for managers and policymakers alike in that it is a complete analysis of how SWM and CE models can be employed to address the entire spectrum of the 17 SDGs. To achieve this, a systematic review of 64 English-language peer-reviewed articles is conducted and the key roles of social, economic and environmental sustainability in SWM and the CE are discussed. This careful selection aligns with state-of-the-art review methods and includes the most relevant and recent studies to give a clear and trustworthy overview of the topic.
The finding shows that SDG 12 (sustainable consumption and production), SDG 13 (climate action) and SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) have received top priority, identifying that waste management directly relates to environmental sustainability and reduces the climate footprint in urban and rural contexts. Social concerns regarding equality and income were found to be less discussed but promising avenues, especially in the Global South, which faces great challenges in implementing the CE in SWM. Moreover, our results indicate the potential of the CE in SWM to combine the reduction of environmental and health burdens with the creation of income opportunities. To make these results tangible, a framework presents how the reviewed literature relates three groups of CE principles to five groups of SDGs. Moreover, a two-level research agenda outlines four research avenues on strengthening social considerations, technological innovation, policy, and developing countries, as well as two transversal research directions on using a wider set of CE practices and methods.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | International Journal of Production Economics |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published (VoR) - 10 Sept 2025 |