Burning plastic for cooking and heating an emerging crisis, study finds

A new Curtin University-led paper published in Nature Cities has called for action to reduce the burning of plastics for heating and cooking, a common yet hazardous practice emerging in millions of households in developing nations due to a lack of traditional energy sources.

Researchers investigated the energy consumption of developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, finding many were unable to afford clean fuels such as gas or electricity.

The team also found urban sprawl had made traditional fuels such as wood and charcoal difficult to find, while a lack of waste management meant plastic waste was in abundance.

Lead researcher Dr Bishal Bharadwaj, from the Curtin Institute for Energy Transition (CIET) said there were many risks involved.

“Burning plastic releases harmful chemicals such as dioxins, furans and heavy metals into the air, which can have a range of health and welfare impacts such as lung diseases,” Dr Bharadwaj said.

“These risks are particularly pronounced among women and children, as they spend more time at home.

“But the pollution doesn’t just stay in households who burn it: it spreads across neighbourhoods and cities, affecting everyone.”

Dr Bharadwaj said the issue may affect millions of people who bear the burden of acute inequality in cities and could potentially have a bigger impact as plastic use increases and cities grow.

“In a survey, 13 per cent of Nigerian households reported using garbage as a cooking fuel, while soil and food samples in Indonesia have revealed dangerous toxin levels linked to burning plastic,” Dr Bharadwaj said.

“By 2050, two-thirds of the world’s population will live in urban areas and many cities already struggle to provide basic services such as waste collection.

“This will be a growing problem, given global plastic consumption is expected to triple by 2060 and inequality will deepen with rapid, unmanaged urbanisation in developing countries.”

CIET Director Professor Peta Ashworth said further research was needed to determine the extent of the issue and develop realistic solutions.

“Many governments are not addressing the issue effectively because it’s usually concentrated in areas such as slums, which are often neglected,” Professor Ashworth said.

“A ban on plastic burning might not help if people have no other option to keep warm and cook their food.

“Possible ways to address the problem include subsidies for cleaner fuels to make them affordable for poorer families, better waste management to prevent plastic from piling up in slum areas, education campaigns to inform communities about the dangers of burning plastic and alternative low-cost, innovative cooking solutions tailored to lower-income areas.”

‘The Use of Plastic as a Household Fuel among the Urban Poor in the Global South’ was published in Nature Cities.