Irawati Meuraksa, Eri Barlian, Mulya Gusman, Nurhasan Syah, Indang Dewata, Sri Eka Putri
The global plastic waste crisis has reached critical levels with production exceeding four million tons annually, threatening ecosystems and human health. Plastic pyrolysis technology emerges as an innovative solution that converts plastic waste into renewable energy through thermal decomposition under oxygen-free conditions, aligning with circular economy concepts and sustainable energy transition targets.This study aims to analyze research trends, collaboration patterns, and development directions of plastic pyrolysis technology for environmental restoration and sustainable energy transition through a bibliometric approach. Bibliometric analysis was conducted on 179 Scopus-indexed publications from 2010–2024 using VOSviewer. Data were systematically processed to identify publication trends, author productivity, institutional networks, geographical patterns, subject area distribution, and funding patterns. The study reveals exponential growth with a 20-fold increase in publications from the exploration phase (2010–2016) to the explosion phase (2023–2024), reflecting growing global awareness of the urgency of plastic waste management. China dominates with 32 publications (2,577 citations, link strength 5,073), followed by India (22 publications, 379 citations) and other developed countries. Strong international collaboration exists among institutions in Asia, Europe, and America, supported by significant funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and Horizon 2020. Co-occurrence analysis identifies three main clusters: energy recovery-economics, circular economy-environment, and sustainable development-chemical recycling. Research is interdisciplinary with dominance of Environmental Science (25.1%), Energy (15.8%), and Chemical Engineering (12.4%), demonstrating integration of environmental, technological, and sustainability aspects. Plastic pyrolysis has evolved into a strategic technology for sustainable energy transition and environmental restoration. Future research needs to focus on strengthening global technology transfer, developing more efficient and economical catalysts, conducting comprehensive life cycle assessments, and integrating digital technologies to address industrial scalability challenges toward commercial implementation. © 2026, Malque Publishing. All rights reserved.
Graduate School, Universitas Negeri Padang, West Sumatra, Padang, Indonesia; Department of Training, Faculty of Sports Science, Universitas Negeri Padang, Padang, Indonesia; Department of Mining Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Negeri Padang, West Sumatra, Padang, Indonesia; Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Negeri Padang, West Sumatra, Padang, Indonesia; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Padang, West Sumatra, Padang, Indonesia
