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Burning Garbage

Burning garbage, whether in the backyard or at municipal waste management facilities, releases thousands of pollutants- dioxins, furans, arsenic mercury, PCBs and lead. These chemicals are linked to cancer, thyroid problems, diabetes, developmental problems and heart disease.

Is garbage burning allowed in the Yukon?

 

The Yukon is the only jurisdiction in Canada that allows garbage burning at municipal landfills. Most Yukon communities use some form of burning to manage their garbage. Whitehorse, Haines Junction, Dawson and Carmacks do not burn garbage but instead use landfill operations. Talk to your local government about garbage burning in your community. Talk to your MLA if you are concerned about garbage burning in the Yukon.

 

It’s not like I’m burning paint cans and tires… What is safe to burn?

Many of us in the Yukon heat our homes with woodstoves. Sometimes there is a temptation to burn things other than seasoned firewood. Unlike seasoned firewood, household garbage contains a wide range of materials and chemicals. Burning garbage doesn’t destroy these chemicals- it just changes their form. Even burning paper products can be risky. Diapers, coated cardboard, boxboard and magazines typically all contain plastics. The inks on coloured paper may also be a problem. Even clean looking paper and cardboard can contribute to dioxin formation when burned.

WHAT TO BURN:

• Black and white newsprint as fire starter
• Seasoned, clean firewood

NEVER BURN:

• Plastic
• Treated, painted or coated wood
• Plywood or particle board
• Railroad ties
• Any garbage

What are dioxins?

 

Dioxins are a family of some 70 toxic chemicals, consisting of polychlorinated dibenzo dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzo furans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Some types of dioxins are known to cause problems in humans that include cancer, reproductive dysfunction and developmental abnormalities. Dioxins get into the environment and they don’t break down. They build up in the fats of animals and humans and can even become concentrated in human mothers’ milk. Most people have detectable dioxin levels in their tissues that have bioaccumulated over their lifetime. We are mostly exposed to these dioxins by eating animal foods, especially those that are rich in fat.

Municipal solid waste incinerators and backyard garbage burning are key producers of dioxins.

So what do we do with our garbage instead?

 

Burning garbage before putting it in a landfill can reduce the volume of waste. This extends the life of the landfill and makes it more economical to run. But the leftover ash from burning the waste has to be disposed of, and there is the issue of atmospheric emissions from burning waste. Dealing with both of these wastes can be expensive and technologically challenging. Unless it is dealt with properly, the ash and atmospheric emissions can contaminate soil, groundwater and air. Burning garbage can cause more problems than it solves.

Many communities have found better and safer ways of dealing with their garbage - through engineering methods or by reducing waste. If everyone in the Yukon composted we could reduce our landfill waste by about half, freeing up valuable space in the landfill. A facility in Edmonton makes useful products (like playground surfaces) out of used tires. This is an excellent example of creating jobs and income from “garbage.” For examples of community alternatives to garbage burning see the report Open Burning of Garbage and its Alternatives on this website.

Do your part by not burning garbage in your backyard, woodstove or campfire.

Ask your local government and the territorial government to ban garbage burning at local waste management facilities.

Sources

Tracking Dioxins, North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (NACEC), Open Burning of Garbage and its Alternatives, Matthew Nefstead, Environmental Programs Branch, Department of Environment, Government of Yukon, 2005 Don’t Burn Household Garbage, Government of Canada pamphlet, 2005

Links:

www.contaminants.ca or www.inac.gc.ca/ncp or www.svtc.org

Learn about Open Burning of Garbage and Its Alternatives in this report (pdf 322 kb). Please note that this paper does not represent an official position of the Environmental Programs Branch, the Department of Environment and/or the Yukon Government. But it's still full of lots of relevant information.

Stick up the Burning Garbage Is Bad For You poster in your neighbourhood (pdf 755 kb).

 

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