By Isabella Burke, Environment Officer, Environment Management Devon & Cornwall
Now more than ever before, how we treat our environment is incredibly important for our future. With a changing and warming climate, how we use the planets natural resources and how we dispose of our waste are of paramount importance to our lives and those of future generations.
Today, most of the waste we produce, if it is well segregated at source, can be recycled, or re-used, but despite this, we are still responding to many reports about the burning of waste every year. Many of these fires are reported to us by the Fire Service following their attendance to the fire site. This takes up the valuable time of our Environment Officers, who could be attending to other regulatory duties, instead of responding to unnecessary, environmentally destructive, and dangerous burning incidents that are completely avoidable.
People burn waste to avoid the charges for taking wastes to permitted waste sites for recovery or where this is not possible, disposal. This is waste crime.
Burning waste releases harmful gases. Hazardous smoke is produced when plastics (including those originating from mixed material packaging), damp proofing, paints, rubbers, sealants, oils, vehicles and tyres are burned.
In addition to this, the residues from burnt waste, the ash and waste which is left behind can pollute surface and groundwater and result in long-term land contamination which can be expensive and difficult to remediate.
These harmful incidents occur when inappropriate wastes are burned in the open air. This should never happen and people doing so can face unlimited fines from us.
Some waste is burned in a controlled way, through incineration at permitted energy from waste facilities. These sites use closed systems designed to minimize atmospheric impacts and produce energy at the same time. They are closely regulated by the Environment Agency.
These are common examples of illegal waste fires and guidance on what you should be doing with the waste:
| Examples of illegal burning of waste | What you should do instead |
| A developer, builder or homeowner carrying out a house or building renovation, burning wastes on a bonfire. | Check the rules for correct disposal of construction waste: Classify different types of waste: Construction and demolition waste - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Consider the cost of proper waste disposal at the outset of the job and ensure these costs are covered. Good waste segregation will reduce the costs of the disposal. |
| A waste carrier taking waste from a house clearance and burning anything with no value. | All wastes must be taken to a permitted site for recovery, either by the person who produced the waste, or by a registered waste carrier. |
| A farmer burning farm plastics (such as silage wrap) or any other wastes generated on-farm | Download this farm plastic management advice sheet: Farm Plastic Management Advice Sheet - Preventing Plastic Pollution
Join a farm plastic recovery scheme. Some councils also have special schemes to take this waste. |
| A stable, burning horse manure | One option is to look for uses as horticultural manure or as agricultural fertilizer. Check the advice and guidance for disposing of horse manure: Keeping horses: Dealing with waste - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) |
| A mechanic burning oily rags in an oil drum on an industrial estate | You will need to have a suitable commercial contract in place to dispose of hazardous wastes produced as part of your business. Check the advice on how to identify and dispose of hazardous wastes: Hazardous waste: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) |
| Taking waste to another person’s land to burn it | Landowners need to be aware of activities taking place on your land. Follow the advice in our blog which will help you secure your land again waste crime. |
| A landscape gardener taking waste wood (or green waste) home and burning it in the open to dispose of it | Waste wood can be burnt at a permitted site to produce heat or energy.
It can also be burnt under a D7 waste exemption. However, burning of waste wood for the purpose of disposal should be avoided. Chipping and using green waste for mulching is preferable to burning, unless the green waste is infectious, invasive or difficult to remove. |
| A shop, cafe, pub or hotel burning cardboard or other packaging wastes in the garden of the property. | Retail businesses should have a commercial waste contract/s in place to remove wastes which are produced as part of their business. Further advice and guidance can be found here: Dispose of business or commercial waste: Your responsibilities - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) |
| A scrap metal collector burning waste cable or electrical goods to retrieve metals | Smoke produced by the burning of items containing electrical components or hazardous substances is particularly harmful. These waste types are widely accepted at permitted sites, including local council run household waste recycling centres and scrap metal sites. |
There really is no need to burn any waste. Not burning waste is better for the environment and safer for people. It is less costly to the public purse too, when less of our time and resources and that of the Fire Service is spent bringing illegal waste fires under control.
If you see any illegal waste fires, report them to the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60, or anonymously to our partner, Crimestoppers: Independent UK charity taking crime information anonymously | Crimestoppers (crimestoppers-uk.org) 0800 555 111.
37 comments
Comment by Paul Chapman posted on
39! rivington drive burscough l40 burning something that maybe harmful to environment it smell like rubber and its filling surrounding gardens and houses with smoke including main road
Comment by Resident in Hamstreet posted on
Plastic being burnt in a garden in Hamstreet, Kent. Landscape gardener/builder burning waste 3 or 4 times a week. We can't use the garden due to the fumes. Seems like there is no way to report this officially.
Comment by eileenroffe posted on
Good morning, for our advisors to log this - please call our national incident team on 0800 80 70 60. Thankyou in advance.
Comment by No faith anymore posted on
Great and your send them a letter and there burn that as well, useless like everybody else and everything else.
Comment by Dr Alex shaw posted on
Crows Nest Farm
Breakspear Road South, Harefield, Greater London England, UB9 6LT
Is burning nearly every day.thick smoke covering the local area causing a nuisance to nearby residents.
Comment by eileenroffe posted on
Good morning, for our advisors to log this - please call our national incident team on 0800 80 70 60. Thankyou in advance.
Comment by Anne Dudley posted on
10 hope street weat bromwich burning rubbish seriously ill son can't open windows to let air in or dry my washing
Comment by eileenroffe posted on
Good morning, if this is domestic, please call your local Council to report it: https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council if it is a business please call our national incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60 Eileen
Comment by Anette posted on
My neighbour burns waste in his garden regularly. It's a. mix of wood, cardboard boxes, books, and whatever else he wants to get rid of. he uses an incinerator, lid off mostly. The smoke is sometimes intense, and my whole house stinks of it. My asthma is also affected. he refuses to stop this, we've asked him so many times. He's also quite forgetful and once burned a big hole in the fence. Never had water nearby. So the whole thing is quite terrifying. What do I do????
Comment by Lucas posted on
In reality, national incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60 doesn't give a flying duck about regular domestic plastic burning by neighbour, as it not exceeding metric ton... local council not interested, fire brigade can only take action if it's out of control fire...
This is so sad, we are being poisoned in broad daylight, incredible mismanagement and waste of tax money.
Comment by Mrs Dawson posted on
Boston West/ Welland Road area being engulfed in toxic fumes 4am Thursday 29th June 2023 and 10pm Saturday 1st July. Winds from the west last night, so coming from the direction of A52 Swineshead Road area.
Clearly illegal burning of waste causing toxic fumes, the air outside smelt strongly of burning plastic and as our windows had been open the Dyson air purifier has picked up the contamination and was operating at a steady top red line. This illegal burning needs to be investigated to identify the source and put a stop to it please.
Comment by Martin posted on
We live on the Suffolk/Norfolk border and suffer regular plastic burning. A riding school burns all its feed packaging, the local (organic!) farmer burns plastic waste, mattresses etc., and today a local small garage has a belching fire, again with the stench of plastic. We did manage to stop a nearby builder from his weekly plastic bonfires. I did approach local council, which wasn't interested, and the Environment Agency asked for photos and a diary. I don't feel we should do the spying on our neighbours. We need some publicity for the illegality of what they are doing, and some actual fines being imposed.
Comment by eileenroffe posted on
Good morning, burning of business waste can be reported to our national 24-hour incident line on 0800 80 70 60 ^Eileen
Comment by Anonymous posted on
That’s all very well, but with the cost of living crisis, we’re seeing staff in all professions participating in walkouts and even full blown strikes over pay and working conditions. Sadly refuse collectors are no exception. Last year one of my friends told me that his bin men went on strike and as the weeks went by, the rubbish piled high. In the end he decided he’d had enough and he considered burning it. What could he have done better?
Comment by David Douce posted on
He could have taken it to a council dump. The problem with industrial waste burning is that they are avoiding paying for their plastic being handled safely. It has nothing to do with strike action.
Comment by Doug posted on
The Farmer at Moorhead Farm Emley Moor burns waste on a daily basis and overnight so people can’t see the smoke. The fumes are toxic at time. Also the farm takes lots of waste from various companies sometime up to 30 vehicles per day. The pile of waste is an eyesore and fire risk.
Comment by eileenroffe posted on
Good morning, please report this to our 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60 ^Eileen
Comment by Ada posted on
Someone burning rubbish at the back of 51-54 triumph close Coventry and teenagers found it and started putting neighbors rubbish bin in the fire (plastic) thereby creation thik fumes in the environment and making it unsafe from residents there.
Called crime fighters as advised and they simply won't pick up. I and my family feel unsafe at the moment
Comment by eileenroffe posted on
Please report this to your local council https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council ^Eileen
Comment by Mick sidebottom posted on
I live in a wooden house I have asthma and a heart condition. Lately my neighbor has been burning wood and cardboard every other day and it's about 20 feet away from our house . We can't open windows as it smells and my health is affected and we are worried our house will burn down if any of the embers float on to it .
Comment by eileenroffe posted on
Good morning, We are the Environment Agency and regulate the waste industry and deal with flooding from main rivers. Please contact Environmental Health who will be in a better position to advise you. They are with the local Council and I have placed a link below that will allow you to obtain contact details:
https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council
Comment by Mark posted on
Burning copper wire at rear of 281 warrington rd leigh wn73xg at 5am filling house with toxic smoke
Comment by eileenroffe posted on
Good morning, We are the Environment Agency and regulate the waste industry and deal with flooding from main rivers. Please contact Environmental Health who will be in a better position to advise you. They are with the local Council and I have placed a link below that will allow you to obtain contact details:
https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council
If tis is a business, please call our 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60
Comment by No happy :( posted on
279 West Bromwich Road, Walsall
Usually every Saturday people from this address burn garbage in the back garden. Today I took pictures of it and there are burned things like plastics, quilts, pillows and other things that really smell a lot. It follows that it may be waste from a company that is registered at this address.
Comment by eileenroffe posted on
Good morning, We are the Environment Agency and regulate the waste industry and deal with flooding from main rivers. Please contact Environmental Health who will be in a better position to advise you. They are with the local Council and I have placed a link below that will allow you to obtain contact details:
https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council
If this is a business, please call our 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60
Comment by Annabel posted on
Hi there,
I live behind a private hospital and it has taken to using its incinerator to burn non bio hazardous materials indiscriminately during the late evening and early mornings of the day. The result of this is to fill my flat with toxic fumes which lead to smarting eyes, burning nasal passage and lips. I have also developed a chest condition ever since the hospital started incinerating the waste. I have contacted the local authority but it has shown no interest. Please advise on how the matter should be reported for action to be taken.
Comment by eileenroffe posted on
Good morning, if we regulate the site then this can be reported to our national 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60. Sites that we regulate can be found on the public register. https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-all ^Eileen
Comment by Anonymous posted on
What a complete waste of time reporting anything to you guys. Reported builders burning illegal waste. No action from you and if you do eventually turn up everything will be burnt and gone
Comment by John Smith posted on
More burning of waste at Little Dowran farm TR197RX a business address used by CGS contractors. Lots of black smoke. Fires being lit almost every day in a skip next to a public footpath.
Comment by eileenroffe posted on
Good morning, You can contact our national incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60 which is opened 24/7 to report environmental incidents. Please take a look at the below link for further details;
https://www.gov.uk/report-an-environmental-incident
^Eileen
Comment by Dii posted on
neighbors are burning garbage not for the first time and it doesn't last an hour or two but almost half a day, and I don't know where to turn because I see one ember after another
Comment by eileenroffe posted on
Good afternoon,
Please contact your local council and see the guidelines below
https://www.gov.uk/garden-bonfires-rules
Comment by Ben Parish posted on
The Environment Agency, along with the The Councils and The Police need to really get your act together. You keep fobbing us off and bouncing your responsibilities to each other and nothing gets done.
Commercial operators and nuisance neighbours are making people's lives hell and impacting their lung health. They are acting with impugnity and it is getting worse because they know no-one will bother to investigate or prosecute. Britain is becoming a lawless place.
This not acceptable. You need to act now.
Comment by Slawomir Sobiecki posted on
Preston Lancashire
Almost every day, evenings and late night neighbour burn garbage. We cant ventilate our house, cant open windows, cant do anything in garden. He is very abusive and plenty of time aggressive. We have been sicking Police support but no luck still same.
As Polish family we really struggling atm. Because of this fires he have damaged our fence panel by burning one. Not far ago as well by add cement he damaged another panels by push out wood form.
Our landlord cant do nothing as this neighbour rent from private landlord when we are housing association.
Comment by Smoking Joe posted on
How can I deal with a neighbour burning smelly and smokey things in their log burner in their house. The smoke is unpleasant and blows across our property.
Comment by Julie posted on
Neighbour is a gardener and brings home all his commercial waste cuttings, we share a field from the landlord and he has a bonfire a few times a year. this is all hedge cuttings shrubs and whatever gardeners remove, is this legal. the pile is currently 3/4meters high and about 4/5 meters long right up against my hedge line and chicken coop and im guessing they will burn it again in the next few weeks. what do i do about this
Comment by Martin posted on
Oldham OL9 7BH big fire with rubbish wood....