Plastic Burning and Air Pollution in Indonesia
- Indonesia
- In Progress
- October 2023 – October 2027
- Multi-Sectoral Interventions / Empowering people & Communities / RCS / Community Engagement Initiatives
Background
The influx of plastic waste into LMICs, combined with the challenges of waste management and policy enforcement within these emerging economies, has resulted in an increase in plastic burning as a low-cost but environmentally unfriendly management solution. In addition to spontaneous combustion on open landfills/dumps following high ambient temperatures and methane release, plastic burning is practiced to reduce the volume of non-recyclable plastic and household Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). Inefficient combustion by open burning substantially impacts air quality, contributing high levels of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds, greenhouse gases and particulate matter (PM) to the ambient environment. Indonesia’s plastic waste is estimated to be 4.8 million Tonnes annually, almost half (48%) openly burned.
Burning of plastics from both industries and community activities results in poor air quality in areas of East Java. Plastic pollution is, therefore, a prominent aspect of environmental change in LMICs, with its unregulated burning presenting a substantial source of PM2.5 and anthropogenic chemical species, such as dioxins and phthalates, in the ambient environment. There is now ample evidence that elevated exposure to these pollutants can lead to the onset and worsening of a range of NCDs, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD).
As plastic production is predicted to increase globally to an accumulative 25 billion Tonnes by 2050, mitigation of the environmental impact of plastics burning has an increasingly important role in the public health response to NCD prevention and management. However, critical formative research needs to inform the definition and implementation of effective mitigation strategies. This includes a clearer contextualized understanding of the relative contribution of industry and community-level plastic burning to PM2.5 in the study regions and clear identification of sources and potential measurable outcomes. This will inform the co-production of a range of potential interventions (ranging from policy and/or regulatory level to community and household level) and relevant strategies for implementation.
Aim
To identify and evaluate implementation strategies to reduce plastic combustion sufficiently to produce meaningful improvements in neighborhood air quality.
Study Objective
- Define plastic burning sources, the amounts of NCD-relevant pollutants emitted and the differential contribution of industry and community-level plastic burning to NCD-relevant pollutants
- Expand the existing primary health care (PHC) strengthening strategies that combine digital health interventions and health workforce strengthening for CVD and COPD to effectively address environmental hazards and fragile health systems in rural communities in Indonesia.
- Co-produce and select a basket of multi-sectoral interventions to reduce NCD-relevant plastic-burning pollutants in the study regions effectively.
- Implement and evaluate PHC strengthening strategies and the basket of interventions to mitigate the impact of plastic burning pollutants on COPD and CVD burden in the study regions.
Research Methodology
The research will be conducted in the 6 villages in Malang district as intervention villages and 6 villages in Banyuwangi as a control villages.
The research will be conducted in the 4 work packages.
Work Package 1:
Focus on obtaining such data, which will be critical to inform activities to address.
Work Package 2:
Co-produce and select a basket of multi-sectoral interventions aimed at effectively reducing NCD-relevant plastic-burning pollutants in the study regions
Work Package 3:
Implement and evaluate the basket of interventions
Work Package 4:
Develop the infrastructure and capacity in Malang District needed for future atmospheric measurement, modelling and implementation research for NCD prevention related to plastic burning
Approach (by Theme)
Theme 1 – Primary Health Care (PHC)
Focus on the readiness of primary health care services to address air-pollution-related NCD risks, including service preparedness and clinical capacity (e.g. spirometry) at PHC level. Activities involve PHC facilities and frontline health workers in intervention areas.
Theme 2 – Multi-Sectoral Interventions: Air Pollution & Plastic Burning
Focus on generating evidence on PM2.5 and chemical fingerprints associated with plastic burning, and on the co-production and piloting of multi-sectoral interventions involving local government, environmental authorities, waste management actors, CSOs, and communities. This theme also covers the establishment and strengthening of village waste banks and enabling local regulations to reduce reliance on open burning.
Theme 3 – Community Engagement & Involvement (CEI)
Focus on participatory processes across evidence generation, intervention co-design, and implementation. Activities include village consultations, FGDs, and multi-stakeholder workshops to ensure interventions are locally grounded, socially acceptable, and aligned with community priorities. This theme also supports evidence-to-policy linkages through engagement with district stakeholders and the Project Advisory Board (PAB).
Research Capacity Strengthening (RCS)
Focus on building local capacity for air quality monitoring, data analysis, and implementation of research. Activities include training and mentoring for early-career researchers and institutional partners, as well as strengthening cross-institutional and international research collaboration.
Digital Health Development
Focus on the development, adaptation, and piloting of digital health tools to support primary health care and community-based interventions (e.g. SMARThealth applications and early warning systems). This includes usability testing with health cadres and PHC staff, and iterative refinement of digital platforms based on user feedback.
