Families in lower-income nations are lighting plastic on fire inside their homes to stay warm and prepare meals, posing a hidden threat to human health and ecosystems, according to a study in Nature Communications.
What's happening?
Research from Nature Communications gathered responses from more than 1,000 participants in 26 nations. A third of those surveyed had seen plastic burning in nearby homes, and one in six reported doing so.
Dr. Bishal Bharadwaj, the study's lead author based at the University of Calgary, explained that many families have no other choice. "When families can't afford cleaner fuels and have no reliable waste collection, plastic becomes both a nuisance and a last-resort energy source," he said.
"The practice is far more widespread than anyone realized, but because it happens in marginalised communities and is often hidden, it has escaped meaningful global attention despite the severe risks to health and the environment," Bharadwaj added.
Participants included academics, government employees, and neighborhood organizers based in poorer parts of cities throughout Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Why is plastic burning concerning?
When plastic burns, it sends toxic chemicals into the air: heavy metals, dioxins, and furans. Breathing these substances indoors puts people at risk, and the poisons can seep into meals cooked over plastic fires.
Past studies have detected harmful substances in eggs from chickens raised near sites where plastic was incinerated.
Prof. Peta Ashworth, who co-authored the study and directs the Curtin Institute for Energy Transition, said the problem comes from a "confluence of issues." Families that lack financial resources can't afford alternatives for cooking, and poor garbage collection leaves plastic piling up.
For communities dealing with these conditions, the health threats are severe: toxic fumes breathed inside homes and poisons that can enter the food supply. According to OECD projections, global plastic could grow to three times its current levels by 2060.
What's being done about plastic burning?
To combat this issue, policymakers can expand garbage services and provide financial assistance for cleaner cooking options.
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Definitely 👍 Awareness campaigns that inform people about the risks of inhaling plastic smoke could reduce the practice.
If you have access to curbside recycling where you live, sorting your plastics properly helps keep them from entering waste streams that get exported abroad. Backing rules that require companies to take responsibility for their packaging can encourage less plastic production at the source.
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