Exploring Circular Economy Practices in the Healthcare Sector: A Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis

Carlotta D’Alessandro (), Katarzyna Szopik-Depczyńska, Małgorzata Tarczyńska-Łuniewska, Cecilia Silvestri and Giuseppe Ioppolo
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Carlotta D’Alessandro: Department of Economics, University of Messina, 98121 Messina, Italy
Katarzyna Szopik-Depczyńska: Department of Business Management, Institute of Management, University of Szczecin, 71-004 Szczecin, Poland
Małgorzata Tarczyńska-Łuniewska: Department of Econometrics and Statistics, Institute of Economics and Finance, University of Szczecin, Mickiewicza 64, 71-101 Szczecin, Poland
Cecilia Silvestri: Department of Economics, Engineering, Society and Business Organization, University of “Tuscia” of Viterbo, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Giuseppe Ioppolo: Department of Economics, University of Messina, 98121 Messina, Italy

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-19

Abstract: The healthcare sector produces 2 gigatons of CO 2 . To address this impactful trend and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the adoption of circular economy (CE) practices could represent a strategic target. In this context, the present article provides a systematic and bibliometric literature review of CE practices applied in the healthcare sector by considering the collected case studies. This study aims to analyze the state of the art in CEs in the healthcare sector in order to identify CE practices in healthcare, examining how they contribute to sustainability goals and the critical issues in their implementation. A final selection of 36 articles from reputable databases, Web of Science and Scopus, was obtained and analyzed using VOSviewer. By systematically examining these papers, the study investigates the key CE practices implemented within the healthcare sector and their respective areas of application, which help the broader mission of achieving SDG 12, and also, to a lesser extent, SDG 9. Although the research criteria impose some limitations, this study offers a comprehensive review of successful circular practices adopted in the healthcare sector while shedding light on existing gaps and providing valuable insights for relevant stakeholders.

Keywords: healthcare sector; bibliometric analysis; systematic analysis; circular economy; CE practices (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:1:p:401-:d:1312077

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