As wildfires mount, so do efforts to use less plastic

Plastic in both the exteriors and interiors of homes burns far hotter than do traditional building materials such as wood or other natural products.

That poses not only increased fire danger, but the burning plastic also produces toxic smoke and runoff that can have an impact for hundreds of miles.

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The construction industry today uses some 20% of plastic globally, and that figure is set to double by 2050, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and estimates by researchers at the University of California.

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Wildfires in California released more than 100 types of toxic chemicals into drinking water, particularly from plastic pipes, needing months or even years of clean-up, the report found.