New report reveals 70 million metric tons of plastic burned worldwide each year

A new report reveals the scale of the world’s plastic problem and the alarming amount of plastic that is burned. Despite the grave and well-documented consequences for human health, about 12 percent of all plastic in the U.S. is burned. In middle- and low-income countries without the infrastructure to recycle, plastic is burned at a much higher rate.

According to the report, published by Tearfund, Fauna & Flora International, WasteAid and The Institute of Development Studies, a double-decker...