Burning plastic at home for heating and cooking is widespread in developing countries, a global study has found, raising concerns about its impact on health and the environment.
Research published in the journal Natural communicationssurveyed more than 1,000 respondents in 26 countries.
One in three people said they were aware of households burning plastic, and 16% said they had burned plastic themselves.
Respondents worked closely with low-income urban neighborhoods and included researchers, government officials, and community leaders.
Dr. Bishal Bharadwaj, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Calgary, said the work provided extensive global data on households burning plastic, a practice for which it is “difficult to obtain accurate data.”
“When families can't afford cleaner fuels and don't have reliable waste collection, plastic becomes both a nuisance and an energy source of last resort. We found evidence that people are burning everything from plastic bags and wrappers to bottles and packaging simply to meet basic household needs,” Bharadwaj said in a statement.
“This practice is far more common than anyone realized, but because it occurs in marginalized communities and is often hidden, it has escaped meaningful global attention, despite serious health and environmental risks.”
The researchers surveyed people in low- and middle-income countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America and suggest that burning plastic “is not solely a result of energy poverty, but also represents a vital informal solution in many situations to cope with… high levels of plastic mismanagement.”
The study authors highlighted health risks such as inhaling toxic emissions in confined spaces, as well as food contamination. When plastic burns, it releases harmful compounds such as dioxins, furans and heavy metalsBye previous studies found toxic compounds in egg samples near plastic burn sites.
The researchers described their work as “an initial step toward filling critical knowledge gaps in this area” but noted that more work is needed to provide a true understanding of the “extent and distribution of plastic waste incineration.”
Professor Peta Ashworthdirector of the Curtin Energy Transition Institute in Perth and co-author of the study, described the fire as the result of a “confluence of problems.”
“Part of the reason is that these people are more vulnerable and they simply don’t have the means to be able to buy any kind of organic food. [fuel]” she said, adding that growing plastic pollution and inadequate waste management are also contributing factors.
The volume of plastic waste is projected to almost triple by 2060. according to OECD data. Ashworth said governments need to improve waste management programs as well as “access to other clean cooking options through subsidies and other measures.”
Researchers suggest that educational campaigns highlighting the dangers of burning plastic and introducing new technologies to burn plastic more cleanly are also solutions.
“As rapid urbanization continues to outpace the development of basic services in many regions, the urgency to implement these measures will only increase.”
