A new study has raised concerns about the hidden environmental cost of global plastic recycling, revealing that large volumes of plastic waste exported to developing countries are being openly burned, causing dangerous air pollution and increasing health risks for local communities.
The study examined what happens when plastic waste is shipped from wealthier nations to lower and middle income countries, where waste management infrastructure is often inadequate. According to the findings, between 40% and 65% of municipal solid waste in many developing countries is openly burned, largely because around 2 billion people worldwide lack access to proper waste collection services.
When plastic is burned, it releases a cocktail of hazardous pollutants, including fine particulate matter, carbon monoxide, styrene gas, hydrogen cyanide, dioxins, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. These pollutants have been linked to respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular disease, cancer, reproductive problems, and neurological disorders. Toxic ash left behind can also contaminate soil and groundwater, creating long-term environmental and public health risks.
The global trade in plastic waste has undergone major changes since 2018, when China stopped importing foreign plastic waste. Before the ban, China accounted for nearly 45% of global plastic waste imports. Following the policy shift, waste exports were redirected to countries in Southeast Asia and other regions, including Turkey.
Indonesia became one of the major destinations for imported plastic waste. The study found that particulate air pollution near large open waste dump sites in Indonesia increased by an average of 3.3% after China’s import ban. Researchers recorded pollution increases of up to 1.68 micrograms per cubic meter.
Based on established health risk models, these pollution increases were associated with an estimated rise in mortality risks of approximately 1.5% for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 1.9% for lung cancer, and 3.5% for lower respiratory infections.
Growing concerns over pollution have prompted several countries to tighten regulations. Indonesia restricted non-hazardous waste imports in 2021 and imposed a complete ban on plastic waste imports in 2025. Malaysia introduced similar restrictions, allowing plastic waste imports only from countries that have ratified the Basel Convention governing hazardous waste movements.
At the international level, efforts to negotiate a legally binding global treaty on plastic pollution have faced delays. However, the European Union has moved forward with new regulations that will prohibit exports of plastic waste to non-OECD countries from November 2026 through at least May 2029.
The researchers argue that reducing plastic pollution will require more than recycling alone. They emphasize the need to cut plastic consumption, improve product design, expand reuse systems, and strengthen recycling infrastructure. Measures such as extended producer responsibility programs, which make manufacturers financially responsible for managing packaging waste, are also being promoted as a way to reduce waste generation and support more sustainable waste management systems.
The study concludes that better management of plastic waste at its source could help prevent significant environmental damage and reduce the health burden currently being shifted to communities in developing nations.