Abstract: Driven by the global green transition and the dual-carbon strategy, solid waste governance is undergoing a profound transformation from end-of-pipe treatment to high-value resource recovery, life-cycle risk control, and intelligent management. Based on references data from the past decade, patent data from the past two decades, and multidimensional evidence on institutional collaboration and regional distribution, the research hotspots and technological trajectories in the field of international solid waste governance were systematically reviewed. The results indicated that the number of relevant references had grown at an average annual rate of about 11% over the past decade, with China, India, and the United States ranking among the top in publication volume, and China ranking first globally in the number of highly cited papers. Patent analysis showed that global patent activity in solid waste governance had steadily increased over the past twenty years, with China leading in application volume, particularly in incineration, landfill monitoring, sorting equipment, and material reutilization. However, gaps remained in advanced equipment, precision sensing, and the efficient treatment of complex waste streams. Institutional and regional collaboration revealed a “multi-core and multi-regional” structure, with research hotspots increasingly focusing on the circular economy, digitalization, and risk prevention. Intelligent recognition, high-value resource recovery, and coordinated pollution and carbon reduction have become key directions. Overall, China has made notable progress in bulk industrial solid waste utilization and hazardous waste treatment, but it remains urgent to establish a technology system centered on fundamental theories and key innovations to advance high-quality development and risk control. In view of global trends, this study proposes strengthening intelligent governance, achieving breakthroughs in core technologies, and promoting synergy between resource utilization and carbon reduction, thereby providing a reference for building a globally competitive solid waste governance model.

Key words: solid waste, technological trends, policy coherence, circular economy, environmental risk prevention and control