Air Quality

Alternatives to Open Burning

Introduction:

In South Carolina, people often burn debris in open fires or outdoor containers. They use this "open burning" to get rid of leaves and tree limbs, clear farm lands, and manage wildlife areas. Because people don't control the fires with specially-designed equipment, the burning generates smoke that can pollute the air and cause health problems. That's why state laws now limit outdoor burning. Luckily, people can use very good alternative methods to dispose of wastes.

Garden and landscape debris, such as leaves and grass clippings, make up as much as one-fifth of all landfill waste. It makes much more sense to recycle these organic materials to improve and beautify your yard. For instance, most yard wastes and food scraps can be composted. This includes leaves, vines, plant stalks, twigs, branches and weeds (without weed seeds). Although grass clippings can also be composted, it's best to let them fall and decompose on your lawn. That's because the clippings add nutrients to the soil. It's called grasscycling.

You should never burn household garbage. Many plastics and other materials in household garbage release hazardous air pollutants when burned. Some household garbage may be recycled to reduce the volume of waste. That way, only the non-recyclable waste will go to landfills. Visit this link for information on recycling in your county.

Instead of burning debris from land clearing, it's best to salvage useable timber, then grind or chip the remainder for use as mulch.

Finally, never burn demolition debris. It could contain asbestos and lead-based paint. To learn more about proper construction and debris management, visit this link.