Simple and inexpensive interventions aimed at making changes in how Bangladesh’s informal brink kilns operate could dramatically cut emissions and boost profits for producers, according to a new study. The findings may offer a scalable model for tackling pollution in hard-to-regulate informal industries, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In many LMICs, weak regulatory systems limit the effectiveness of pollution control, especially in informal industries that tend to operate outside formal governance and tax systems. Instead of top-down regulation, interventions aimed at improving energy efficiency in these industries offer a promising strategy to reduce emissions while also enhancing productivity. However, few studies have explored the potential of these interventions in LMICs. In Bangladesh, most brick manufacturing occurs in informal, coal-fired “zigzag” kilns, which are a major source of emissions and air pollution in the region. Regulation of these operations has been challenging due to inadequate enforcement and corruption. To curb pollution from brick manufacturing, attempts have been made to promote the adoption of more advanced and expensive technologies. However, despite considerable investments in the effort, there has been limited uptake among producers. Moreover, the performance of these more advanced technologies has often failed to outperform traditional kilns, revealing a disconnect between technological promise and on-the-ground realities.

In this study, Nina Brooks and colleagues developed and tested a practical intervention to improve the environmental and economic performance of zigzag kilns in Bangladesh. Rather than relying on costly equipment or government enforcement, Brooks et al.’s approach focused on simple yet impactful changes to kiln operation – such as more efficient fuel feeding and brick stacking – that require no capital investment but can significantly cut emissions and improve profitability. In a randomized controlled trial involving 276 zigzag kilns, Brooks et al. show that roughly 65% of kiln operators who received training and technical support interventions adopted new practices. This led to a 10-11% reduction in energy use and an 8.8% reduction in carbon dioxide and fine particulate air pollution emissions. According to the authors, the benefits of the interventions outweigh the costs by a factor of 65 to 1. Moreover, the intervention, which required no new capital investment, also decreased fuel costs and increased brick quality, demonstrating that visible, short-term economic gains can drive enthusiastic uptake of energy-efficient practices.