<p>Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) remains a key challenge for sustainable urban development, particularly in rapidly urbanising and environmentally vulnerable regions. Integrating both sustainability and resilience into MSWM frameworks is increasingly critical owing to climate change, governance gaps, and socioeconomic disruption. In this study, a systematic review of the sustainability and resilience indicators for MSWM was conducted using the PRISMA methodology. Of the 2,251 screened studies that were screened, 64 were selected for in-depth analysis, revealing 62 indicators across four aspects: environmental (21), technical (12), socioeconomic (16), and governance (13). Commonly reported indicators included recycling rate, waste collection coverage, and energy recovery. In contrast, resilience aspects like adaptability and emergency preparedness remained underrepresented, appearing in only 31% of the reviewed studies; the most frequently mentioned resilience factors were governance frameworks (68%), community participation (54%) and risk assessment strategies (49%). Notably, 42% of the reviewed lacked regulatory depth, and only 27% proposed methods for evaluating resilience. Several indicators scoring methodologies, including the use of 5-point Likert scales and categorical benchmarks, were compared herein, and standardised terminology was suggested for grouping similar indicators. The 62 proposed indicators serve as a comprehensive tool for local and global stakeholders, bridging global targets and indices with practical community-level applications. This study emphasises the need to integrate resilience into MSWM strategies more effectively. Ultimately, a novel approach is proposed for evaluating MSWM, contributing to adaptive policy design and long-term resilience, applicable not only to developing countries but also globally.</p> Graphical Abstract <p>This is a visual summary that explains the systematic review conducted on sustainability and resilience indicators (SRIs) for municipal solid waste management (MSWM). The graphic is structured into four key sections, namely Study Selection, Descriptive Analysis, Indicator Identification and Categorisation, Comparative Analysis and Key Findings, which are each designed to guide the viewer through the research process and results. The first panel illustrates the study selection process using the PRISMA framework, with 2,251 records screened and 64 studies selected for full review. In the second panel, the review revealed a 300% rise in publications over 13 years, with 34.4% originating from Asian countries. However, only 31% of the 64 reviewed studies included aspects related to resilience, and 42% lacked regulatory frameworks. Furthermore, only 27% of the methods proposed in these studies focused on resilience evaluation. The third panel shows that 62 SRIs were identified and classified into four categories: environmental (<i>n</i> = 21), technical (<i>n</i> = 12), socioeconomic (<i>n</i> = 16) and governance (<i>n</i> = 13), emphasising a dual focus on sustainability and resilience. These SRIs were compared with established indices, including the SDG index, CEIS, Wasteaware, UN-Habitat Indicators, GGI, and EPI. Finally, the outputs from this study consist of (1) normalisation of indicator terminology to synthesise 62 SRIs; (2) comparisons of existing indices and different scoring methods to clarify their reliability, strengths, and limitations; (3) an integrated SRI framework that bridges local waste strategies with existing indices; and (4) actionable recommendations for developing countries</p> <p></p>