What is Backyard Burning?
Backyard burning is the burning of household trash by people on that property. It includes, but is not limited to, paper, cardboard, plastic, lawn clippings, and basically anything that might be sent to a landfill or recycled. Backyard burning is most likely to happen in rural areas or other places where recycling is unavailable, not easily accessed, or expensive, because people are apt to choose the easiest and cheapest option for waste disposal.
The Keweenaw Peninsula of Upper Michigan is a very rural area where much backyard burning takes place. In addition, it is located along the shoreline of Lake Superior, a very important source of fresh water. It is one of our major goals to educate the community on the negative impact of this practice, and to encourage alternative ways to deal with plastic and rubber waste.
The Keweenaw Peninsula of Upper Michigan is a very rural area where much backyard burning takes place. In addition, it is located along the shoreline of Lake Superior, a very important source of fresh water. It is one of our major goals to educate the community on the negative impact of this practice, and to encourage alternative ways to deal with plastic and rubber waste.
Why is Backyard Burning Bad for the Environment?
The main reason backyard burning is bad for our environment is that when burning waste, especially plastics, airborne chemicals called dioxins are released into the air. (see 'Dioxins'). The dioxins can end up in locations far from the source of burning, and enter the food chains through consumption. Dioxins have harmful effects on humans as well as other life (see 'Bioaccumulation').