Across the Global South, millions of people are turning to plastic waste as an easy fuel source to cook and heat their homes. According to Liza Gross, this desperate act is spreading across urban slums in over two dozen countries where people lack access to clean energy or proper waste services. Researchers have found that plastic burning is now common in low-income communities throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America, putting human health and the environment in grave danger.

Since plastic is made from fossil fuels, it burns easily—but at a deadly cost. Toxic fumes from melting plastic release carcinogens, heavy metals, and fine particles that linger in the air, contaminate food, and settle in soil and water. In Indonesia, for example, villagers discovered that tofu and chicken eggs had been tainted with dioxins from burning plastic. Researchers warn that women and children are most at risk because they spend the most time near household stoves.

The root of the problem runs deeper than waste—it’s about inequality. High-income nations have long exported their plastic Pollution to poorer regions that lack the infrastructure to handle it safely. While global leaders debate treaties to reduce plastic production, vulnerable families are left to choose between hunger and inhaling poison.

Experts argue that real change must focus on providing clean, affordable energy while cutting plastic production at its source. Without systemic reform, the world’s poorest communities will keep suffering the consequences of a throwaway culture that others created.

Protecting our planet starts by demanding accountability from the industries and governments fueling this crisis—and by choosing sustainable, plant-based lifestyles that put people and the Earth first.

Being publicly-funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content.Click here to Support Us

Sign These Petitions! 

Please sign our latest and most urgent petitions to help the planet. Every signature counts!