EU plastic packaging circularity and service-system perspectives: a bibliometric analysis
Massimiliano Ruggiero, Martina Toni, Giovanni Mattia, Carlo Alberto PratesiPurpose
This study aims to present a bibliometric analysis of the literature on plastic packaging reuse and recycling in the European Union (EU) while also exploring the emergence of more integrated and service-oriented interpretations of packaging systems. Although scholarly attention to circular packaging has increased substantially, existing studies lack an integrated understanding of how publication trends, thematic structures and conceptual configurations have evolved in relation to EU policy developments. This paper addresses this gap by examining the organisation and evolution of EU-focused research on plastic packaging circularity.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis encompasses 144 final scientific articles from 1996 to 2025, sourced from the Scopus database. Using bibliometric tools Biblioshiny and VOSviewer, this research combines performance analysis with science mapping techniques to examine publication dynamics, keyword co-occurrence networks, thematic clusters and their temporal evolution.
Findings
The results reveal a sharp increase in scientific output after 2018, which closely aligns with major EU policy initiatives. Keyword and co-occurrence analyses identify four dominant thematic clusters: “circularity and sustainability models”, “recycling processes and assessment tools”, “plastic waste and material innovation” and “waste management and packaging systems”. It indicates a field structured around partially disconnected research logics. Circular economy emerges as a boundary concept linking these clusters, whereas consumer-related and behavioural dimensions remain empirically peripheral in the current EU research landscape. The analysis also highlights emerging conceptual connections between circularity, governance, stakeholder coordination and reusable systems, supporting more service-oriented interpretations of packaging circularity.
Originality/value
By mapping the structural configuration and fragmentation of EU research on plastic packaging reuse and recycling, this study contributes to an understanding of how academic priorities co-evolve with regulatory frameworks. The findings highlight persistent conceptual gaps and provide a structured basis for discussing more integrated, service-oriented and system-level interpretations of circular packaging research in Europe, particularly in relation to governance, coordination and reusable packaging systems.