Plastic Burning for Fuel: Health Risks Rise in the Global South
- The practice of burning plastic waste for fuel, or simply to manage household refuse, is far more widespread in low-income urban communities across the Global South than previously...
- Researchers surveyed over 1,000 “key informants” – including researchers, government workers, and community leaders – from 26 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
- Bishal Bharadwaj, lead author of the study and a researcher at the University of Calgary, explained that the issue has been largely overlooked because it occurs in marginalized...
Household Burning of Plastic Waste a Growing Health Threat in the Global South
The practice of burning plastic waste for fuel, or simply to manage household refuse, is far more widespread in low-income urban communities across the Global South than previously understood, raising serious concerns about public health and environmental pollution. A new global study reveals that one-third of respondents are aware of households burning plastic, with 16% admitting to the practice within their own homes.
Researchers surveyed over 1,000 “key informants” – including researchers, government workers, and community leaders – from 26 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The study, published in February 2025, highlights how burning plastic has become integrated into the daily lives of many urban residents, particularly in parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
Bishal Bharadwaj, lead author of the study and a researcher at the University of Calgary, explained that the issue has been largely overlooked because it occurs in marginalized and often hidden neighborhoods within cities. “The practice is more widespread than we thought,” he said.
The reasons for burning plastic are multifaceted. While previously thought to be primarily used as a fire starter, the research indicates that dealing with massive amounts of waste and the need for an affordable fuel source are also key drivers. Households are burning a variety of plastic items, including bags, wrappers, bottles, packaging, and even chemical containers.
The study found significant correlations between plastic waste burning and both supply factors – such as the sheer volume of waste generated and the high cost of clean fuels – and demand factors, including the desire for self-management of waste.
Experts warn that the open burning of plastic represents an “urgent global health issue,” particularly as communities increasingly resort to it due to energy poverty and a growing plastic waste crisis. The world’s failure in 2025 to agree to a binding United Nations plastics treaty is expected to exacerbate the problem.
The practice is “basically driven by deprivation, not only because of waste management issues, but also due to energy poverty in urban areas,” Bharadwaj added. “Cities have been thought of as clean energy hotspots, but there are areas within cities where communities are burning plastic as fuel.”
Regional differences exist, with sub-Saharan Africa showing a higher prevalence of households burning plastic compared to other regions. In Southeast Asia, while less common as a fuel source, open burning still occurs as a means of waste reduction.
The health risks associated with burning plastic are substantial. The release of harmful compounds, including dioxins, can lead to respiratory problems, reproductive disorders, damage to the immune system, and potentially cancer. However, researchers emphasize the need for more in-depth studies to fully understand the long-term health impacts and greenhouse gas emissions resulting from this practice.
Lisa Thompson, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco, suggests the current study may underestimate the scale of the problem, as survey respondents may be distanced from the issue and rural populations may burn even more plastics than those in urban areas. Research from Guatemala, for example, found that roughly 30% of 1,572 rural households surveyed used plastic as a secondary fuel.
Bharadwaj agrees that further research is needed, including detailed household-level surveys. Addressing inequalities in urban areas is vital to tackling this emerging issue. “It’s all about deprivation and the deep inequality within cities,” he noted. “What I clearly see is the need for inclusive societies, including city governance, more infrastructure in cities and cleaner cooking conditions.”
Expanding essential public waste management services and implementing programs that enhance the affordability of clean energy technologies, especially for marginalized and low-income communities, could help reduce this damaging practice.