Why isn’t burning waste to avoid going to the dump, illegal?

34 replies

Decisionsdecisions1 · 05/04/2026 15:02

Why isn’t burning garden waste, wood etc in domestic garden banned?

Dumps exist for a reason - for the proper disposal of waste. What’s the point if people can just burn it all in their garden to avoid a trip to the dump?

Our whole house, and those of our neighbours, now stinks of smoke, including bedding (and the windows have been closed). All because someone can’t be arsed to drive 15 mins to the dump.

OP posts:

PhoebeBuffay1234 · 05/04/2026 15:27

My otherwise fab neighbours recently had an extension and they had bonfires all day every day in the autumn at one point. It was awful. I couldn’t put washing out and couldn’t open the windows so I was pissed off. As I said, they’re normally great so I put up with it.

They also did one on Thursday which annoyed me as I’d just put my washing out. I had to bring it in which made it double the effort which isn’t great for me! 😩

loosethepounds · 05/04/2026 15:24

We live in a clean air zone. Some of the rules No burning of waste, no bonfires on November 5th.
And for some reason no keeping of birds (pigeons) outside. Don't think the pigeons sitting on the fence
have read this rule.

I8toys · 05/04/2026 15:22

Yep totally agree - it absolutely reeks when Flaming Phil next door starts burning his garden waste. We have garden collection bins and also the tip is not far away. Its unnecessary.

Davros · 05/04/2026 15:20

I haven’t seen a bonfire for years, used to love them

Tryanalogue · 05/04/2026 15:18

More laws, this time forbidding everyday activities - Bleeding marvellous!

OttersOnAPlane · 05/04/2026 15:17

Our kids have many happy memories of roasting marshmallows over a fire in the garden. We'd save dry wood for ages so we could have a couple of fires on summer evenings.

Around here people tend to message the neighbours if they're planning to light a fire so no one's washing is affected.

TimeFlysWhenYoureHavingRum · 05/04/2026 15:16

If you are in a clean air zone they are illegal. If they are causing a statutory nuisance they are also (effectively) illegal.

HeddaGarbled · 05/04/2026 15:13

I think it would be a bit over the top to make all bonfires illegal. They are covered by statutory nuisance laws (i.e. you can complain to the council and if they’re judged to be causing a nuisance, they can be banned).

PaterPower · 05/04/2026 15:07

Totally with you on this. But I had a (gentle) moan on my local FB community group and there were quite a few people disagreeing.

Given that most councils provide garden waste bins at reasonable cost, I think burning the waste is lazy and antisocial in an urban setting. And not great for the environment, which I always find slightly ironic.

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