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Plastic pollution and the open burning of plastic wastes
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This study examined open burning of plastic waste across four countries (India, Indonesia, Philippines, Zambia) using ethnographic fieldwork, finding this widespread practice persists despite existing laws due to inadequate alternatives. The authors propose a harm reduction approach targeting the most toxic plastics and packaging types to mitigate health risks where prohibition has proven ineffective.
The open burning of plastic wastes is a practice that is highly prevalent across the globe, toxic to human and environmental health, and a critical—but often overlooked—aspect of plastic pollution. Most of the countries where such burning is widespread have laws and policies in place against it; open burning continues nevertheless. In this article, using data from ethnographic fieldwork in urban and rural sites in India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Zambia, we examine local practices of open burning and investigate why regulations to tackle it have proven largely ineffective. Adopting a harm reduction approach, we then suggest preliminary measures to mitigate the health risks of open burning by targeting those plastics and packaging types that are most toxic when burned. © 2023 The Author(s)
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The Open Burning of Plastic Wastes is an Urgent Global Health Issue
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Open burning of plastic waste is a widespread but overlooked global health crisis that releases toxic gases and ash into the air, soil, and water. Campaigns against plastic pollution sometimes inadvertently increase burning, and existing laws against the practice are rarely enforced. The authors call for greater awareness of burning risks and phasing out certain single-use plastics.
Interventions Implemented in Resource-Constrained Settings to Improve Plastic Waste Management and Reduce Plastic Burning: A Systematic Review
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This review looked at 17 studies from lower-income countries testing ways to cut down plastic waste and burning, like bans on single-use plastics, community recycling programs, and new waste-management technology. Surprisingly, plastic bans often backfired and increased plastic use because people lacked affordable alternatives and rules weren't well enforced, while community-driven programs paired with government support worked better. This matters because burning plastic releases toxic fumes linked to lung and heart problems, so finding solutions that actually work, not just look good on paper, is key to protecting people's health.
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Researchers studied plastic waste in rural Rwandan markets and found that even though almost everyone knew about the country's plastic bag ban, most plastic waste (mainly bottles and food wrappers) was still being burned or dumped in the open rather than properly disposed of. Burning plastic releases toxic chemicals into the air, and dumping it contaminates soil and water — both of which can expose nearby communities to harmful substances through breathing, drinking water, or food grown in polluted soil. The findings show that banning certain plastics isn't enough on its own — real change also requires better trash collection systems and disposal habits, a l
Comparative life cycle assessment of plastic waste management technologies: Environmental performance of pyrolysis, mechanical recycling, chemical recycling and open burning.
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Burning plastic waste in the open, still common in many developing areas, releases hundreds of times more climate-warming pollution than proper recycling methods, on top of the toxic smoke it puts into the air people breathe. This study found that turning plastic back into its basic chemical building blocks (chemical recycling) is the cleanest engineered option, but surprisingly, how far the waste travels for processing matters more than which technology is used. The takeaway: investing in local collection systems, not just fancier recycling tech, could be key to cutting emissions and reducing harmful pollution exposure in communities dealing with plastic waste.
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Researchers extracted and characterized microplastics from soil surrounding sites where solid waste is openly dumped and burned — a waste management practice common in rural and Indigenous communities globally. The study found significant microplastic contamination even at depth, showing that open dumping is a major but overlooked source of terrestrial microplastic pollution.
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