Page 15 - Clean India Journal March Issue - Digital Edition

NEWS TRACK

Burning Plastic Waste for Fuel?

ccording to a paper titled “The
Use of Plastic as Household
Fuel among the urban poor in
the Global south” by Curtin
AUniversity from Perth, the
main reason to burn plastic for fuel
is due to lack of traditional energy
sources like gas or electricity
and access to resources like coal
or wood. This is a problem in
developing countries across Africa,
Latin America and Asia.
Lead researcher Dr Bishal urban areas and many cities already help if people have no other option
struggle to provide basic services
to keep warm and cook their food.
Bharadwaj from the Curtin Institute such as waste collection,” he noted, Possible ways to address the problem
for Energy Transition (CIET) adding that the estimated global include subsidies for cleaner fuels
observed that the study stated that plastic consumption is expected to to make them affordable for poorer
13% of Nigerian households reported triple by 2060. families, better waste management
using garbage as a cooking fuel. to reduce piling up of plastic in
Soil and food samples in Indonesia CIET Director, Professor Peta slum areas, campaigns to inform
have revealed dangerous toxin levels Ashworth felt research was required communities about the dangers of
linked to burning plastic. to develop solutions to an issue seen burning plastic and alternative low-
in areas dominated by slum colonies.
“By 2050, two-thirds of the “A ban on plastic burning might not cost, innovative cooking solutions
world’s population will live in tailored to lower-income areas.”

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