Don't Trash Our Air

How You Can Keep the Air Clean

What's in the Smoke?

Did you know every time garbage is burned in an uncontrolled fire, it creates air pollution and the left over ash contains toxic residue?

Here are some of the air pollutants that would be in the smoke from a burn barrel:

Dioxins (Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins)
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) such as benzene, toluene and methyl chloroform
Ash or particulate matter
Furans (Polychlorinated dibenzofurans)
Halogenated hydrocarbons like Tetrachloroethylene, Trichloroethylene, Methylene chloride, 1,1,1-Trichloroethane, Carbon tetrachloride, Chlorinated fluorocarbons
Carbon monoxide
Carbon dioxide
Sulfur dioxide
Heavy metals such as lead, barium, chromium, cadmium, arsenic and mercury

Burn barrel temperatures rarely exceed 500 degrees Fahrenheit, so combustion is incomplete. Permitted incinerators operate at 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit to insure complete combustion, and they use efficient filters to reduce harmful emissions.

Pound for pound, garbage burned in a burn barrel gives off twice as many furans, 17 times as much dioxin, and 40 times as much ash as a permitted incinerator. A 1997 EPA study shows that a small number of households burning garbage (between 2 and 40 households, depending on how much plastic and paper are in the trash) can produce as much dioxin as a 200 ton/day municipal incinerator.

Past generations burned their garbage, but that practice should be a thing of the past. Garbage back then didn't contain plastics, foils, batteries, paper (which is bleached with chlorine) and other materials. Even burning paper today can release dioxins into the air. Burning household trash, whether in an open pit, burn barrel or a wood stove is unhealthy, unneighborly and unnecessary. It is time to let burn barrels become obsolete!

Alternatives to Burn Barrels

Instead of Burning in a Burn Barrel, You Should...

Reduce -- buy in bulk or larger quantities and demand less packaging on the products you buy.

Reuse -- find someone else who can use it, have a yard sale, or donate it to a resale or non-profit organization.

Recycle -- newspaper, office paper, corrugated cardboard, magazines, aluminum, metal, acceptable plastics and any other material your community recycles.

Compost -- leaves, plant clippings and food waste.

Chip -- brush and clean wood to make mulch or decorative chips, or use it as heating fuel in wood stoves.

Dispose -- of allowable waste materials at a permitted landfill or waste-to-energy facility.

What You Should Never Burn in a Burn Barrel

Asphalt
Batteries
Cardboard
Construction and Demolition Debris
Garbage
Household Hazardous Waste
Junk Mail
Leaves
Paint
Paper
Pesticide Containers
Plastic
Petroleum Products
Tires
Treated Wood

When These Materials Are Burned in a Burn Barrel They Give off Toxins*:

Asphalt - PAH's
Batteries - heavy metals like cadmium, lead, mercury
Plastics - dioxins, VOC's and halogenated hydrocarbons
Treated Wood - Arsenic, plus the ash is very toxic. (This lumber contains Chromated Copper Arsenate)
Paper - dioxins
Pesticide Containers - pesticide residuals, dioxins, VOC's, halogenated hydrocarbons
Leaves - carbon monoxide and benzo(a)pyrene
Petroleum Products - dioxins, VOC's and halogenated hydrocarbons

* This is not a comprehensive list of toxins emitted from a burn barrel, just a partial listing.

New York State Laws Control Open Burning

Presently, open burning is regulated by New York State statutory and regulatory authority -- Environmental Conservation Law, §§ 9,19, 6 NYCRR Part 215 - Open Fires. Part 215 bans open burning in communities with populations over 20,000. There are more than 850 towns in NYS with populations less than 20,000.

Local communities may also have laws or ordinances that restrict open burning; check with your local fire department for information on local restrictions.

More about Don't Trash Our Air :

Dangers of Open Burning - Besides increasing likelihood of wildfires, burning household trash can cause harmful health effects

Reducing Air Pollution from Lawn and Garden Equipment - Ways to minimize air pollution when caring for your lawn and garden
Burn Barrels - Health risks from burning trash at home

How Other States Regulate Open Burning - How other northeastern states control open burning
Interstate Cooperation to Reduce Open Burning - A Joint Resolution Promoting Interstate Cooperation to Reduce Air Pollution from Open Burning of Solid Waste