From waste to fuel: Uncovering the drivers of garbage and plastic burning in Northwest Nigeria

Anecdotal evidence indicates that energy-poor households in regions lacking formal waste management systems often resort to burning garbage, including plastic, to fulfill their energy requirements and manage waste. The Multi-Tier Framework (MTF) dataset from Northwest Nigeria was used to examine the prevalence of garbage and plastic burning, along with the underlying reasons and methods households employ for this practice. Analyzing data from 3669 households, findings show that up to 58% of households in certain local government areas (LGAs) burn garbage including plastic as fuel. Factors driving this behaviour extend beyond economic constraints, notably increased plastic waste, inadequate waste management infrastructure, and declining availability of traditional fuels. In some instances, external influences significantly motivate the use of polluting fuels. This localized investigation underscores the emerging challenge of plastic burning in impoverished communities in the Global South, where rising plastic pollution, diminishing biomass resources, and the absence of formal waste services converge, exacerbating health and environmental risks. • Up to 58% of surveyed households in some LGAs used garbage/plastic as fuel. • 93% of households that burn garbage as a primary cooking fuel do not stack with other fuels. • Households use wood as a primary fuel and stacked garbage as a secondary fuel. • Reasons for burning garbage as a primary and secondary fuel are different. • Garbage fuel use correlates with waste management, leaf area index, and plastic in waste.