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Cornell University : Cornell Cooperative Extension
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Backyard Burning |
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Before you burn your garbage consider this: burning creates air pollution and ash. According to the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, of all the toxic air pollutants, "products of incomplete combustion" pose the greatest risk of cancer. Motor vehicles are the single greatest source of these pollutants, but wood stoves are significant also. Although little research has been conducted on burn barrels, there is reason to suspect them of being important local sources. Of course, there is no air pollution control in your backyard. Even worse, in a barrel temperatures are too low to assure complete destruction of hazardous compounds formed as plastics and other materials burn. Metals that aren't carried by the smoke are left behind in the ash. This ash should not put on gardens or dumped indiscriminately. Some folks say: "but I don't burn anything dangerous." We now know that plain old household waste contains materials that may pose a danger to your health if improperly burned. Old paint, used oil, light bulbs, batteries and other discarded products may contain mercury, lead, and other heavy metals. Plastics burned at low temperatures give off toxic and cancer causing chemicals. If you can smell the smoke, you are exposing yourself to potentially harmful pollutants. Because of these concerns, New York City has phased out the use of over one thousand apartment incinerators. You may ask "isn't it legal to burn garbage?". In New York, backyard burning of household waste is prohibited inside city and village borders, and in towns of more than 20,000 people. Local ordinances may limit it elsewhere. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has prepared regulations which specify those materials that can be burned. Whether your garbage is sent to a landfill, an incinerator, a composting facility, or a recycling center, it is likely to pose less of a danger to health and the environment than if it is burned in the backyard. Here are some suggestions to reduce your need to burn garbage in your backyard: For your organic wastes, such as grass clippings, leaves and food wastes, consider composting instead: it's even easier than burning and yields a useful end product. Support your local recycling efforts by contributing to collection or drop-off programs. Take a lesson from your trash can: if it can't be reused, recycled, or composted, maybe you could switch to products that can be. Ultimately, there will be leftovers - real garbage - that can't be readily reused, recycled, or composted. These should be managed in the most responsible manner possible. Cornell
Cooperative Extension Yates Association |
