Nearly 20 years have gone by since EPA’s waste incinerator standards were last updated. Many incinerators are operating with long-outdated, heavily polluting technology, and some are illegally burning medical and industrial waste in addition to municipal trash.

In recent decades, the toxicity of municipal trash has increased because of the growing concentration of plastic in the waste stream. Plastic waste is on track to triple by 2050. That means much more plastic will be sent to incinerators. More than 13,000 chemicals are used in plastics production, yet EPA regulates waste incinerators for only 9 air pollutants.

When plastic is burned, it releases particulates, dioxins, heavy metals, PFAS chemicals, and other harmful air pollutants, all of which have well-documented harmful effects on human health. Exposure to this pollution increases the risk of cancer, birth defects, reproductive system damage, developmental issues, cardiovascular problems, respiratory impairment, hormonal irregularities, and neurological problems.

Most waste incinerators are sited in under-resourced neighborhoods and communities of color, where they release vast amounts of soot, dioxins, heavy metals, nitrogen oxides, and other pollutants into the air. These emissions are linked to elevated risk of lung and heart diseases, neurological disorders, cancers, and other health harms. Living near incinerators is especially dangerous for children.