Unveiling the data: An analysis of plastic waste with emphasis on the countries of the E³UDRES2 alliance

This paper offers an examination of the current plastic waste landscape, with emphasis on the nine countries of the European University Alliance E³UDRES2, based on both the literature and official numbers, to verify the alignment of practical waste management practices with scientific tendencies and advancements. The paper includes a bibliometric analysis focusing on the overall plastic waste literature and the plastic waste literature of the E³UDRES2 countries. Additionally, a mass balance was calculated regarding the domestic waste management of each of the alliance countries in 2021. The main goal is to assess how scientific research in the field of plastic waste management is being implemented in practice, particularly in the context of the E³UDRES2 countries. Bibliometric results reveal significant growth in publications since 2006, with China, the USA, and India leading. Key themes reveal evident clusters around behavior and technology, encompassing both the properties of plastics and societal attitudes toward waste management policy measures. Mass balance results reveal that, in the nine countries of the alliance, Latvia and Finland exhibited high plastic recycling rates (85% and 49%, respectively), and Germany, despite its high population, generated less waste per capita and incinerated 64% of its plastic waste. Despite progress, the results highlight ongoing challenges in implementing comprehensive circular economy-focused policies for waste management in Europe yet reveal a growing commitment to improving waste treatment systems, leading to lower environmental impacts of plastic waste.