Backyard Burning

Some municipalities don't offer yard waste collection services and residents may decide to burn yard waste. People also burn garbage and other items that might create a health hazard.

There are better ways to manage yard waste and people should know about the alternatives.

People burn in open pits, burn barrels, or backyard incinerators. Backyard burnings lack the proper temperature and release dioxins and other harmful chemicals into the air.

Things to remember

• Check with your municipality

  • Each municipality has its own ordinances for burning.

• Compost as an alternative

  • Leaves, grass clippings, and brush and branches can be composted in piles to create a rich soil

• Consider alternative landscaping

  • Learn how to design and landscape your yard for less maintenance, water use and waste

• Open burning creates health hazards and is not a sound way to dispose of leaves and garden debris.

Why Should I Care?

Dioxin:

• Human carcinogen (causes cancer)

• toxic compound that suppresses the immune system and effects reproduction and development.

• A bioaccumulant (stays in the body).

• Released by burning garbage, treated lumber and tires.

Asthma:

Particulate matter released during burning can aggravate asthma.

Smoke and Haze:

Lower air quality for you and neighbors

Greenhouse Gases: 

Trees spend all summer converting carbon dioxide (CO2 ) to oxygen (O2 ) and storing the carbon in leaves. By burning the leaves you release the CO2 back in the atmosphere. That means less oxygen in our air to breathe and more CO2 giving us hotter days through global warming.

Odors:

Not everyone likes the smell of burning leaves. Nobody likes the smell of burning garbage!

Special Items - Do not burn

Illinois EPA also has information on burn barrels.