Increased danger to public wellbeing from open burning of plastic, warn health specialists.

Increased danger to public wellbeing from open burning of plastic, warn health specialists.

In many unseen communities across the globe, the burning of plastic waste is a growing and largely overlooked problem. This practice, driven by inadequate waste management infrastructure, lack of formal waste collection services, and the influx of cheap plastic products, poses severe public health risks and environmental damage.

In Indonesia, plastic waste is burned as fuel to produce tofu in businesses, while in Malawi and other poorer nations, families frequently resort to burning plastic waste at home due to a lack of alternatives. This practice, often done in household compounds or informal dumpsites, emits toxic petrochemical smoke that contributes to air pollution, toxic emissions, and plastic leakage into ecosystems.

Health impacts include respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, birth defects, cancers, and disruptions to endocrine, reproductive, and neurological systems caused by toxic additives and combustion byproducts. Environmentally, open burning contributes to air pollution, toxic emissions, and plastic leakage into ecosystems, exacerbating plastic pollution in land and aquatic environments.

Southeast and East Asia are particularly vulnerable to this issue, with countries like the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia especially at risk due to dense coastal populations and proximity to rivers that transport plastic into oceans. Despite some improvements in waste management, mismanaged plastic waste has risen in absolute amounts, facilitating increased open burning and dumping.

In South Africa, open burning contributes notably to local air pollution and climate change. Less than 10% of plastic waste is recycled annually, and about 25% is mismanaged, with a large share burned openly. National efforts focus on regulatory frameworks, producer responsibility schemes, and public awareness, but challenges persist due to plastics’ durability and entrenched use.

Open burning of plastic is now a common activity for communities without access to waste management services. Research estimates from Guatemala found that open burning generates a heavy environmental toxic load, contributing significantly to the nation's total emissions. Similar studies have found contaminated eggs near plastic and waste burning sites in Kenya, Tanzania, and Nigeria.

The European Union ships around 50% of its plastic waste abroad, much of it heading to Turkey. Once plastic reaches less-developed nations, recycling rates are extremely low. This issue is escalating as the volume of plastic waste increases, fueled partly by exports of plastic waste from developed (Global North) to developing (Global South) countries, often without proper pollution controls.

Efforts to address this crisis include rising global attention through upcoming U.N. treaty negotiations and national strategies focusing on waste prevention, collection, and circular economy approaches. However, challenges remain significant across regions such as Southeast Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and beyond.

The global human health impacts of plastic waste due to open burning are largely understudied. A survey of 1,500 households, conducted as part of the Guatemala study, found that 60% of those questioned use waste and plastics in household cooking stoves as fuel, with women and young girls being among the primary respondents. Indoor air pollution from burning plastics leads to elevated risks of respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and other life-threatening conditions.

Experts warn that many communities are resorting to burning plastic waste in households as fuel, while burning by industry to make energy is also becoming common. Another poorly documented practice is dubbed "refuse-derived fuel" (RDF), where mixed plastics and other waste, known as "fluff," are fed into cement kilns and burned in a highly polluting energy strategy.

In the wake of a 2024 study, critics argued that the paper ignored the impact of "waste colonialism," the shipping of plastic waste from the Global North to the Global South. Open burning of plastic releases numerous dangerous toxins and fine particulate matter, contributing to millions of air pollution deaths annually.

Addressing this issue requires a multi-faceted approach, including improving waste management infrastructure, promoting recycling and circular economy approaches, and enforcing stricter pollution controls on plastic waste exports. International cooperation is crucial to combat this global crisis and protect public health and the environment.

References:

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17. The global health impacts of plastic waste due to open burning are increasingly being studied, with research suggesting that burning plastic in household cooking stoves exposes people to toxins that can lead to respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and other life-threatening conditions.
18. In the domain of sustainability, the practice of open burning of plastic waste is a significant contributor to carbon emissions, as the combustion of plastic releases numerous dangerous toxins and fine particulate matter that seriously harm both human health and the environment.
19. As the international community works towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is crucial to prioritize the integration of environmental science principles with medical-conditions research, health-and-wellness initiatives, and policies related to the management and disposal of plastic waste to minimize the adverse impacts on public health and the environment.

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