Incinerating waste

Anyone know if there is a law against incinerating waste in your garden? Having issues with black bin capacity and googling it only turned up industrial and commercial rather than domestic scenarios.

https://www.gov.uk/garden-bonfires-rules, you have to be certain that what your burning is safe.

Martin P

Bonfires are probably not illegal (though there are exceptions) but the results of having one could well be.

The key is not to annoy anyone. A stinking pillar of black smoke once a week is much more likely to cause trouble than the odd whiff of wood-smoke. Smoke in the road is dangerous and will attract the police. If anyone thinks your fire is out-of-control they can call the Fire Brigade, leaving you to justify yourself.

Inconsiderate bonfires may amount to a 'Statutory Nuisance' and end in prosecution. Much depends on local circumstances. My mother and sister both live in smoke control zones; bonfires are rare in their neighbourhood. I have an easier time but know my local council takes a hard line on anyone caught burning domestic rubbish. No excuses round here - there are free Recycling Centres and a Bulky Waste Collection Service.

Dave

Take it to your local recycling dump, it should be free.

Most towns and cities are smokeless zones.

This means smoke from chimneys.

ridiculous as it seems this includes the little 6" chimney on the dustbin style incinerators.

Since recycling started our way my two 50 litre bin bags are now one.

Just don't burn lots plastic and nappies are vile if burnt

Depends on local by-laws, probably.

We are allowed to burn garden waste that is generated on the site (not imported). That means if it grows in your garden, you can burn it (at appropriate times), otherwise it must be disposed of by other legitimate methods.

We are no longer allowed to use black bin bags.

Your local council should be able to tell you.

This is almost certainly totally illegal now, but.....

Back in 1971 I bought my first house. The previous owner was a Shipwright in the place where I was working at the time. The last time any work had been done was, going by the newspapers under the lino, the mid 50s. Sadly a lot of the lino had to be ripped out, sad, because it was in good condition. The lino was "Pussers Lino", used in electronics compartments on RN ships, it was at least twice the thickness of ordinary lino, very heavy and very robust. I had taken out square meters of the stuff. So being young and naive, I stacked it up in the back garden, along with all the stripped off wallpaper, paint scrapings, bits of odd grot that you find when stripping an old house. It made a sizable heap. I threw on a match, and carried on with washing the emulsion off the ceiling of the back bedroom. Some time later I noticed something flickering and looked out of the first floor bedroom window, up at the flames, deep orange flames and lots of them. The thick black smoke made me think of a destroyer making smoke at high speed, appropriate really, given the fuel!!

Fortunately the fire burned itself out fairly quickly, with no damage, but I have never forgotten the flames and black smoke!!

cheers

Bill

Floor Polish? On the RNZAF station I was at during the mid 60s one of the barrack huts was burnt down, the blame was put on the extra fuel the fire got from years of build up of floor polish. Don't know how true that was.

Worth reading the Wiki entry on Linolium. The heavy stuff known as Battleship Linolium originally developed for the covered decks of US warships. After Pearl Harbour it was removed because it was found to be too inflamable.

Ian S C

Edited By Ian S C on 29/09/2017 10:48:27

In the UK, at least where I worked (Vosper Thornycroft in Southampton), it was known as "Pussers Lino". Anything supplied specifically for the RN was at that time known as "Pussers", that's "Pus-ers" as against "Puss-ers", if you see what I mean, Pusser being one of many nicknames for the Real Navy (RN). Certainly the stuff in my house was similar to the stuff used in electronics compartments, albeit a slightly different colour. So maybe "my" lino was old stock, left over from WW2. Laying the lino in a ships compartment had to be done in one piece, to prevent electrical tracking along the joins. It was VERY expensive and only used in Electronics compartments. The stuff in my house was about 1/4" thick and a sort of coffee colour. I've got a vague memory of being told that the new stuff wasn't as good as the old stuff. Trust me it burned well!!

cheers

Bill

All depends upon what you burn and where you burn it

There are some exclusions to smokeless zones also, for example I was allowed to demolish and burn an old wooden garage on site as it was riddled with woodworm !!

It was deemed better than spreading the worm around by transporting it.

Workshop heating????

GARDEN waste yes, general c**p NO. Have a pyrotechnically oriented neighbour who loves starting bonfires for his son who is downwind of the polystyrene/treated wood and all things bad smoke. Obviously away from school the day toxins in smoke were taught. Despite being informed of our local tip/ recycling centre being less than a mile away, he continues to be a p***k. Sadly he is joint owner of an industrial waste cleaning company.

Doesn't happen all that often so reporting to E/H who are always "Too busy" to inspect so "Keep a record" is a waste of time. Bit of a b****r when you suffer from the stench due to COPD.

Regards Ian.

If you want to be more accurate, the term Pusser's relates to the naval purser - the name used for what in the army was the quartermaster. He supplied the crew with what they needed to run the ship, and ran the stores. So it was entirely natural that outside the Navy the term became more general for navy stuff.

Not that it helps with bonfires.

Cheers, Tim

Today the London Mayor Kahn is asking the Government to ban all wood burning stoves in the London area. Some areas are so polluted from wood smoke that control is necessary, In general terms wait till bonfire night 5th of November and use it as part of the celebrations. You can get away with burning most things then.

Clive

We have an issue locally with an alleged ban on bonfires (although no proof has ever been given by the responsible councillor). Whilst visiting the councillor to discuss the local dictate I noticed that they had a chiminea. I was told that they were acceptable so instead of one of those galvanised dustbin shaped things I have a large chiminea!

I have been burning my rubbish for the last five years, I have had no complaints.

I did get worried when I fuelled my metal melting furnace with B&Q easy lighting charcoal, it produced a huge smokescreen that spread all over the road. I use propane now, there is no smoke.

Probably from Purser the officer who keeps the books...

Similar experience when I used the B&Q easy lighting charcoal, albeit only on a barbecue, it produced dense clouds of choking smoke and spread over all my neighbours gardens. They never said anything but I resolved never to use it again, it was a disaster.

Dave

I think they are simply soaked in paraffin or similar crude oil derivative. So you have to let them burn out a fair way before they are fit to cook with. And if you find you need more, part way through the BBQ, you are stuffed unless you like food to taste of paraffin. In N America, where everyone seems to have one, the vast majority of BBQs are gas powered and are no worse for it. The chargrilling effect is down to the fat in the food and the way it is burnt during cooking. You can always sprinkle wood shavings or cook on cedar if you like the smoked wood flavour.

I find the best way to get a fire started is to use a Rothenberger (propane canister) plumbing blowlamp or similar. You can latch the trigger and leave it running for 5 minutes or so, which is enough to get a large camp fire started in my experience, even a wet one. This was my preferred means when camping in Canada, not least as the gas canisters are the same fitting as those sold for the gas cookers and cost peanuts over there. It saved a lot of buggering about with firesticks and lighters.

Don't understand what is so clever (or necessary) about incinerating domestic rubbish on your property. We used to live near such a household and it always stank of burning plastic etc. Some of the stuff given off by simply setting fire to plastics is extremely unpleasant, which is why industrial incinerators are very sophisticated these days. Even cremation facilities are fitted with mercury filters these days to avoid us having to accidentally recycle the stuff.

Murray