Backyard burning refers to the burning of household trash by residents
on their own property. Trash typically burned can include paper, cardboard,
food scraps, plastics, and yard trimmings—essentially any materials
that would otherwise be recycled or sent to a landfill. Burning usually
occurs in a burn barrel, homemade burn box, wood stove, outdoor boiler,
or open pit. Air emissions from backyard burning are released directly
to the atmosphere without being treated or filtered.
Why People Burn their Trash
Backyard burning is common in many areas of the country. People burn
trash for various reasons - either because it is easier than hauling
it to the local disposal site or to avoid paying for regular waste collection
service. In the past, backyard burning may have been the only way that
many rural Americans could get rid of their waste. Today, however, almost
everyone can obtain reasonably priced waste collection or take their waste
to a conveniently located drop-off center as alternatives to backyard
burning. Many state, local and tribal
governments prohibit or restrict some or all backyard burning of waste.
Even where restrictions exist, however, many people continue to burn.
It's a Health Hazard
Most people who burn their waste do not realize how harmful this practice
is to their health and to the environment. Current research indicates
that backyard burning is far more harmful to our health than previously
thought. It can increase the risk of heart disease, aggravate respiratory
ailments such as asthma and emphysema, and cause rashes, nausea, or headaches.
Backyard burning also produce harmful quantities of dioxins, a group of
highly toxic chemicals that settle on crops and in our waterways where
they eventually wind up in our food and affect our health. The Human
Issues page provides more information about the dangers of dioxin.
Burn Barrel Science
Typically, dioxins do not exist in materials before they are incinerated,
but are produced when waste is burned. Significantly higher levels of
dioxins are created by burning trash in burn barrels than in municipal
incinerators. Household burn barrels receive limited oxygen, and thus
burn at fairly low temperatures, producing not only dioxins, but a great
deal of smoke and other pollutants. Unlike the barrels and boxes used
in backyard burning, large incinerators are required by EPA regulations
to have stringent pollution control systems that reduce dioxin emissions
primarily by preventing their formation. Backyard burning is also particularly
dangerous because it releases pollutants at ground level where they are
more readily inhaled or incorporated into the food chain. For more information
on dioxin formation and sources, visit EPA's
Draft Dioxin Reassessment.
Open burning is a controversial topic in many communities across the state, PROP has put together this FACT Sheet to explain some of the issues. You can view other PROP FACT Sheets here.
