Waste Management and Recycling

Waste management and recycling research examines how societies collect, process, and reduce the materials they discard, with particular attention to the environmental consequences of plastic accumulation, landfill overflow, and industrial byproducts. At the intersection of engineering and social science, the work explores not just technical systems but the human behaviors and community structures that determine whether those systems succeed — including how local knowledge, household practices, and collective organizing shape recycling rates and waste reduction outcomes. Researchers are actively working to understand what makes community participation durable rather than short-lived, and how recycling infrastructure can be designed to support social empowerment alongside environmental goals. Open questions remain around scaling localized composting and reuse models, and around measuring the long-term sustainability gains of interventions that blend engineering solutions with grassroots engagement.

Works

39,423

Total citations

53,251

Keywords

Waste ManagementCommunity ParticipationPlastic WasteEnvironmental ImpactRecyclingHousehold Waste