Burning household waste

Introduction

It is illegal to burn household or garden waste at home or in your garden.  Burning waste is not only a nuisance to neighbours, it can release many harmful chemicals into the air you breathe. 

Modern day waste has many toxic chemicals in it.  Paper waste may contain synthetic materials, preservatives and even plastics. Disposable nappies contain gels, bleaches, plastics. Many wood products are treated with toxic chemicals to prevent rot.

Burning of such wastes in low temperature uncontrolled fires will create toxic and dangerous by-products which are not destroyed by the fire but become airborne on soot particles. These can end up being inhaled or precipitate out of the air and deposit onto surrounding soil and vegetation where they can readily enter the food chain.

Rules

Burning household waste at home or in your garden is illegal. Examples of where you cannot burn household or garden waste are:

• In a barrel or exposed pile in the yard or garden
• On a bonfire
• On an open fire, range or other solid fuel appliance
• In a mini-incinerator, for example, a home or garden incinerator purchased from a DIY centre.

Waste burners and other devices such as, mini or household incinerators, which may be located in buildings or gardens, are illegal even if they are attached to a stack or flue.

The biggest source of Ireland’s dioxin emissions are from uncontrolled home burning of domestic waste. Burning waste is an offence under waste management legislation and the Air Pollution Act, 1987. The recent Waste Management (Prohibition of Waste Disposal by Burning) Regulations 2009 (pdf) strengthens the law against waste disposal by uncontrolled burning also known as backyard burning.

Burning household waste can incur a fine of up to €3,000 or 12 months in prison upon summary conviction in a district court.

Safely disposing of waste

Domestic waste can be disposed of in different ways. Most local authorities provide waste collection services. However, licensed private waste collectors are becoming more common. If you decide not to make use of organised waste collection services, you can dispose of much of your own domestic waste by recycling, home composting and use of civic amenity centres operated by your local authority or landfill sites.

Your local authority can advise you on waste disposal and recycling facilities in your area.