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• Study maps trends linking circular economy and sustainable materials • 104 articles on circular economy and sustainable packaging were analyzed • Italy, Spain, and Brazil lead global scientific output in this área • Agro-industrial waste identified as key to biodegradable packaging development • Growing focus on active, intelligent, and functional packaging solutions This study presents a bibliometric analysis of scientific publications on the valorization of agro-industrial residues through circular economy strategies, aiming to develop biodegradable and sustainable packaging. Documents published in the period 2015–2018 were excluded during the screening phase because they did not meet the representativeness required by the inclusion criteria. As a result, a total of 104 articles published between 2019 and 2024 were identified across 67 journals, with an average annual growth rate of 63.68%. The highest number of publications occurred in 2024 (25 articles), establishing this topic as an emerging research trend. Italy, Spain, Brazil, India, China, and the United States were the leading contributors to scientific output, with notable researchers such as Patrizia Cinelli, Sergio Torres-Giner, and Andrea Lazzeri recognized for their international collaborations. Keyword analysis revealed dominant research themes including biodegradable materials, circular economy, food packaging, waste valorization, agro-industrial by-products, and food waste recovery. The studies emphasized circular strategies focused on waste reuse and closed-loop production systems, aiming to reduce environmental impacts and support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. Notable initiatives involved marine by-products, cereal residues, citrus and dairy waste, and lignocellulosic materials rich in bioactive compounds. These materials were employed in the production of beverages, nanofibers, nanocomposites, biogas, and antioxidant or antibacterial compounds, as well as in the development of rigid and flexible packaging and functional coatings with active, intelligent, and biodegradable properties. Despite growing progress, challenges remain, particularly in consolidating circular practices in packaging production. Advancing this field will require collaborative efforts from the scientific community to generate impactful knowledge and from industry to invest in and adopt circular technologies that create high-value products from waste.
Oliveira et al. (Sat,) studied this question.