E-Waste Generation, Recovery, and Recycling: Scientometric Insights into Sustainable Resource Management

¹ Department of Civil Engineering, SR University, Warangal - 506371, Telangana, India
² Business and Communications, INTI International University, Persiaran Perdana BBN Putra Nilai, 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.
³ Center for Informetrics and Statistics, SR University, Warangal - 506371, Telangana, India

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

With the rapid growth of electronic consumption worldwide, the generation of e-waste has become a major problem that presents serious environmental, economic, and social problems. The present study offers a scientometric evaluation of global e-waste management research between 2015 and 2025, illustrating trends in knowledge generation, technological advancements, and political campaigns. The analysis was conducted on 969 documents indexed in Scopus (with the help of Biblioshiny, VOSviewer, and OriginPro) to map the patterns of publications, most frequent authors, most influential institutions, and most frequent thematic groups. The findings indicate a 17.29 percent growth rate per year, robust global cooperation, and growing interest in recovery and recycling technologies, environmental consequences, and circular-economy models. The major areas of research are hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical metal recovery, new bioleaching and AI sorting innovations, and evaluations of the socio-economic risks of informal recycling. Sustainability, unsafe emissions, and green technological solutions were the most referenced topics. Although significant improvements have been made, loopholes remain regarding the involvement of developing countries, implementation of policies, safety of workers, and practical application of Industry 4.0 technologies. This discussion indicates the necessity of supporting the development of global e-waste governance, resource efficiency, and accelerated sustainable recycling through integrated multidisciplinary approaches. These findings offer valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders seeking to advance environmentally responsible e-waste management.