Burning trash?

[watchdogps]

So...city girl here...moving to the country and there is no trash pickup. The landlord says they just burn the trash and there;'s the burn barrel. Really? My tree-hugging self is cringing. I will recycle what I can but do you really burn things like the styrofoam meat packages and unrecycle-able plastic bags and stuff?

 

[hisdaughter]

I don't think I would. I think you have the right idea with seeing about recycling. Is there not a dump nearby?

 

[Southernbelle]

Nooooooo. We don't burn anything, but of the people I know that use them, they just burn paper goods, like cereal boxes, not plastic or styrofoam. We have trash sites with huge dumpsters that we're supposed to take trash to, then the county picks it up and takes it to the landfill. There's always recycling centers, too.

 

[greyhorsewoman]

We haven't had trash pick up for YEARS. We recycle everything we can - batteries, cans, plastic, cardboard & metal. Since we own our 50 acre property, we have a designated 'dump' for biodegradable items (like tree limbs, leaves, wood, rugs). Anything else we burn. We also try to buy products that are NOT excessively packaged. While burning probably isn't the best solution, I figure it's better than sending it to the landfill. DO not burn TIRES or BATTERIES.

 

[desertdarlene]

Hmmm. In the backcountry areas where I live, people do burn trash, but it's mostly yard waste, etc and only when there's not a fire weather warning. Many people compost food scraps. But, a lot of people just pile up their trash and take it to the dump themselves at regular intervals. They try to recycle and reuse as much as they can, but I don't think they burn styrofoam, etc.

 

[caspernc]

No, you can find out where the county landfill is and collect and haul it off weekly. For meat trays I wash it out and it won't smell quite so bad, not quite so bad. I do try not to get the trays. paper composts well so you really don't have to burn either and of course cans go to the dump also. So now you need to learn to can your garden so you won't have cans!

I forgot to mention that news paper and brown paper bag (which both are a renewable resource) make great mulch around plants just add a little leaf mulch on top of the paper to hold it down. Its a great weed block.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
No, we take ours to the local transfer station where it is picked up and trucked to a landfill. We only burn paper and cardboard and even then that's not too often.

Call the county and ask what your options are.

 

[HLAC]

I have some neighbors that burn all of thier trash. Their burn barrel is over 100 yards away but it still manages to waft noxious fumes over here. Then the grain elevator burns the tarps that they use to cover the corn piles. That burn pile is about 250 yards away and the smoke is awful. Burning wood, paper and such is fine. Plastic is nasty.

We have a burn pile ourselves, but we do not burn plastics/rubber/foam. I bag up my recyclable plastic and most paper and occasionally drive it to town and put it in the recycling bins.

You might check to see if you have a landfill near you that will take the stuff you don't want to burn.

 

[debilorrah]

When we lived in Apple Valley we had a burn permit, but we only burned paper products and weeds.

 

[ranchhand]

We have the same dilemma here.

DH was a bit of a firebug at first, but he's gotten used to hauling stuff to the county landfill. Specifically, he's gotten used to ME hauling sorted trash to the landfill! I recycle as much as possible, and only food garbage the birds shouldn't have goes to the dump.

I've found the best way to keep trash safe until my next hauling day is to hang it somwhere the opossums can't get to it. Styro trays are great when rinsed and used as insulation in sheds, plant markers in the garden, etc.