Poor communities in city slums across Africa, Asia, and Latin America are increasingly using plastic waste as fuel, exposing them to toxic pollutants that can harm health and the environment.
Bishal Bharadwaj, Peta Ashworth, and Pramesh Dhungana report for The Conversation.
In short:
- Urbanization and deforestation have made traditional fuels scarce, leading low-income households to burn plastic, which is readily available in informal urban settlements.
- Burning plastic releases hazardous chemicals, including dioxins and heavy metals, which can cause cancer, lung disease, and heart problems.
- Researchers are studying emissions and urging policymakers to address the issue with solutions tailored to affected communities.
Key quote:
"Nobody wants to burn plastic waste to cook food, so policies like [a] ban on burning plastic without contextual intervention will not work. There is a need to design inclusive policy interventions that provide equitable benefits to the wider community."
— Bishal Bharadwaj, Peta Ashworth, and Pramesh Dhungana, authors of the new paper published in Nature Cities
Why this matters:
Plastic pollution is not just an environmental crisis but a public health crisis. Burning plastic releases toxic fumes that linger in homes and communities, increasing respiratory illnesses and cancer risks. Poorer populations bear the brunt, with women and children facing the greatest exposure. With plastic production set to triple by 2060, this issue will only grow unless systemic changes address both waste management and energy poverty.
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