Recycling in rural areas

[Dave2002]

Is it better to recycle paper and packaging or burn it (allowed in rural areas) for heat. “Better” may, of course, depend on what is being assessed. Burning is not a good option except for document disposal if the heat is not used in some way, but if the heat can be used then burning might fulfil a useful purpose.

[MrGongGong]

Compost

[gradus]

Is it better to recycle paper and packaging or burn it (allowed in rural areas) for heat. “Better” may, of course, depend on what is being assessed. Burning is not a good option except for document disposal if the heat is not used in some way, but if the heat can be used then burning might fulfil a useful purpose.

We burn personal financial docs etc but recycle everything else. I don't think you'd get any worthwhile heat from a domestic paper supply but we use circulars to get the fire started each day.

[Dave2002]

We burn personal financial docs etc but recycle everything else. I don't think you'd get any worthwhile heat from a domestic paper supply but we use circulars to get the fire started each day.

In the UK most of us burn stuff every day, either directly, or indirectly - gas burnt in power stations, for example. This might change in the future with wind, solar, water power starting to become more significant, not to mention the more controversial nuclear power.

Burning stuff is generally not good, but arguably in rural areas it's OK as the pollution produced might only affect those near the burning site, and burning logs which are a by product of forestry might be considered sustainable and low impact if one believes that there is offsetting by the continuing planting of trees. Individuals might need to decide for themselves whether they are concerned about the carcinogenic effects of wood smoke.

Regarding paper and cardboard, these can surely be effective for lighting fires, or for rejuvenating fires which are dwindling. I think Amazon boxes would be good for this purpose. In terms of heat energy produced a sheet of A4 or a carboard box is not going to keep one warm for long, but taking them to a recycling centre will possible be more counter productive assuming fuel is used for vehicles in the transportation. The UK does not really go in for district heating, which in countries like Denmark can make considerable differences to how power plant efficiency is rated. Combining a waste incinerator with district heating and a power station can be effective. It's not 100% green by any means, but it may be better than many other approaches.

Perhaps Mike Berners-Lee's book "How bad are bananas" could/can be updated to take this kind of thing into account.

[Dave2002]

Compost

OK as long as methane isn't produced.

[gradus]

OK as long as methane isn't produced.

Isn't Methane unavoidable in compost/sewage treatment?

[Dave2002]

Isn't Methane unavoidable in compost/sewage treatment?

I’m not absolutely sure, but I think it can be minimised, or conversely made completely unacceptable, which is why some carbon offsetting ideas might not turn out to be so great. If trees are grown they soak up CO2 (great), but if they are then blown down or cut down and subsequently fall into rivers or lakes, then large amounts of methane can be produced. If that happens the outcome is worse than if there were no intervention in the first place.

In some plants methane can be burnt off, which generates heat, and water and CO2, but better than allowing the methane to escape, which is what would happen with poorly managed compost.

I suggest we all look up methane production in our chemistry books.

[oddoneout]

A properly working compost heap shouldn't produce methane, but if it starts working anaerobically then it will. That of course can be put to good use in digesters, where the gas produced can be collected and used for heat or power. Some agricultural businesses do this, as it solves two problems at once.
Burning things in rural areas may not cause a problem in those areas but prevailing winds can carry pollution elsewhere and add to urban pollution for instance.

[gradus]

Slightly to one side of the topic, since farmers were forbidden to burn off their fields there has been a huge increase in problems such as black grass. This necessitates intensive spray treatments - better I think to burn off than use yet more sprays.

[Dave2002]

Slightly to one side of the topic, since farmers were forbidden to burn off their fields there has been a huge increase in problems such as black grass. This necessitates intensive spray treatments - better I think to burn off than use yet more sprays.

Further, it looks as though herbicides are starting to become less effective - https://cereals.ahdb.org.uk/media/43...he-problem.pdf

[Anastasius]

Slightly to one side of the topic, since farmers were forbidden to burn off their fields there has been a huge increase in problems such as black grass. This necessitates intensive spray treatments - better I think to burn off than use yet more sprays.

Absolutely. I really miss the roller-coaster one could get in a glider over a burning stubble field!

[Dave2002]

This article - http://zendergroup.org/docs/health_e...ning_trash.pdf - suggests that burning just any old stuff is not always a good idea, particularly indoors in an open fire. This may not be very widely known, though probably doesn't affect too many people in the UK as few people use old fashioned fires these days.

[Bryn]

I recall reading an article in New Scientist, back around 1970, which raised the question of carcinogens generated by household 'wood-burning' stoves and other enclosed fires which burn ar relatively low temperatures. Bonfires, which burn at much higher temperatures, were given a much cleaner bill of health.

Also, friends of friends living in (where else?) Totnes, used to soak old, unwanted, books and magazines in waste sump-oil, and burn them in their domestic fire grate. They thought they were being so eco-conscious.

[oddoneout]

I recall reading an article in New Scientist, back around 1970, which raised the question of carcinogens generated by household 'wood-burning' stoves and other enclosed fires which burn ar relatively low temperatures. Bonfires, which burn at much higher temperatures, were given a much cleaner bill of health.

Also, friends of friends living in (where else?) Totnes, used to soak old, unwanted, books and magazines in waste sump-oil, and burn them in their domestic fire grate. They thought they were being so eco-conscious.

I would think the picture has changed somewhat since then. The design of wood-burners has improved considerably for one thing; even those not DEFRA approved will likely be more efficient - it's good marketing material if nothing else.. Bonfires may burn at higher temperatures, but many don't, and even if they do the items that folks now try to dispose of that way are I suspect far more likely to emit noxious fumes - modern furnishings, kitchen cabinets etc.
Sump oil used to figure sometimes in the construction of the slowburn(2 days) green waste 'bonfires' favoured by some of the old boys on the allotments - now those were nasty fume factories.

[Serial_Apologist]

I would think the picture has changed somewhat since then. The design of wood-burners has improved considerably for one thing; even those not DEFRA approved will likely be more efficient - it's good marketing material if nothing else.. Bonfires may burn at higher temperatures, but many don't, and even if they do the items that folks now try to dispose of that way are I suspect far more likely to emit noxious fumes - modern furnishings, kitchen cabinets etc.
Sump oil used to figure sometimes in the construction of the slowburn(2 days) green waste 'bonfires' favoured by some of the old boys on the allotments - now those were nasty fume factories.

And I think we should ban tyre burning, when the revolution comes - useful though it has proved to be for clogging up tank tracks...