4. Impact of the plastic pollution crisis (Part II - human)

Plastic pollution exacts a heavy toll on human health and well-being.

The waste management industry in parts of the Global South is often exploitative. Waste pickers - who are typically marginalized and economically disadvantaged individuals - bear the burden of managing plastic waste. They do this while facing stigma, working in hazardous conditions, and receiving inadequate compensation for their work. Some waste pickers in the informal sector are earning less than $1 per day, and there is evidence that a gender pay gap exists in the sector with women earning less than men.

Waste pickers often work in dangerous and unhealthy conditions, especially those working on illegal or poorly-managed waste dump sites which can be affected by landslides and explosions. Those living near waste dumps are at higher risk of injuries, respiratory diseases, and skin conditions, and the life expectancy of inhabitants of the Deonar landfill site in Mumbai, India, is just 39.

While the health risks associated with plastic pollution falls most obviously on those in the Global South living in and around waste, there is no escape from plastic wherever in the world you live.

Another example of how plastics disproportionately affect people of color and in lower socio-economic groups is the story of those living in so-called ‘Cancer Alley’ in the United States. Cancer Alley is an 85 mile stretch of road that runs along the Mississippi River from New Orleans to Baton Rouge. Approximately 200 fossil fuel and petrochemical plants are within this radius, and cancer rates in the area are unusually high. Forty percent of the residents in cancer alley are Black (compared to a twelve percent Black population in the US nationwide).

Microplastics are everywhere from the deepest oceans to the highest mountains, and have been found to be present in human blood and breast milk. By some estimations, the average human being consumes up to a credit card’s worth of plastic every week, and recent research has found microplastics and nanoplastics (fragments of microplastics) in alarming quantities in bottled water.

There are also concerns about plastic toxicity, with chemicals leaching from plastic products contaminating air, water, and soil, with potential implications for human health. This is - again - particularly the case for communities located near poorly managed or informal waste disposal sites. Toxic leachate and landfill fires put people at risk from air and water pollution, with potentially significant long-term health consequences. In areas where there’s limited collection of household waste, waste is often burned, which contributes further to poor air quality and risk of respiratory issues.

As we confront the human impact of plastic pollution, we must recognize the interconnectedness of environmental and social justice issues. As we look to address the root causes of plastic pollution, we need to take a holistic approach. One that considers both the environmental damage being caused, but also the well-being of all individuals, particularly those most exposed to the adverse effects of our waste.