To burn or trash... guilt question!

[Mr. Kelly]

Hey all.

I've been burning a fair amount of cardboard this year as kindling. It fires up really nicely.

However, I'm feeling a little guilty, since previously, I'd recycle most of that cardboard, and just use crumpled paper.

My question is a little different, though. Lots of our non-corrugated cardboard cannot be recycled. That's the stuff I've been burning more, rather than throw it in the trash.

What's your thought on this: environmentally speaking, do you think it's better to throw this junk cardboard/paper in the trash, or just burn it up as kindling or fire bait?

Thanks for input!

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

I only burn newspaper as a starter, nothing else. If the non-corrugated has any inks or glues on/in it I wouldn't burn it.

 

[Mr. Kelly]

I only burn newspaper as a starter, nothing else. If the non-corrugated has any inks or glues on/in it I wouldn't burn it.

pourquois? (translation: why?)

 

[DanCorcoran]

pourquois? (translation: why?)

Because the manufacturer of your stove says not to do so...

 

[nate379]

I toss all that stuff in the burn barrel

 

[Mr. Kelly]

Because the manufacturer of your stove says not to do so...

Any thoughts as to why they might say this? I'm hoping for ecological details. This stuff is either going to sit in a landfill, or burn. I'd like to be persuaded as to why one fate would be any better or worse than the other!

 

[pen]

No clue how bad the inks actually are, but when I burn in a pit I am always surprised by the colors I get.

My concern about burning cardboard is not from an environmental standpoint, but from safety. The three most recent chimney fires that happened to folks I know happened while they were using their stove like a trash incinerator and burning up excess cardboard / papers. That stuff burns hot and fast. Burn too much and if there is any deposits in the chimney, it will find them. I have no clue how much they stuffed in, or how many times they had gotten away with it before, all I know is that I heard about their chimney fires and what set them after the fact.

Also, even if there weren't deposits in the chimney to ignite, w/ a strong draft chunks of burnt cardboard can be sent up the flue plugging a chimney cap.

I suggest burning it in a burn barrel or else sending it to recycling.

pen

 

[savageactor7]

For kindling I'd use cardboard ...pretty sure that's a wood by product anyway so environmentally speaking it's a wash.

I don't recommend using the wood stove for an incinerator. I suppose in an emergency If you don't burn it all at once and feed it slowly and work it in with you routine wood burning you could do it safely so.

 

[peakbagger]

Uncorrugated cardboard is lusually 50% filler (that doesnt burn) not wood. It doesnt burn that well and generates lots of ash. If it has a printed side like a cereal box it has even more filler (usually clay). Unfortunately not much demand for it to recycle as its already been recycled to many times.

 

[firebroad]

Any thoughts as to why they might say this? I'm hoping for ecological details. This stuff is either going to sit in a landfill, or burn. I'd like to be persuaded as to why one fate would be any better or worse than the other!

As Dan said, my stove manufacturer said not to burn cardboard. I suspect the binders in it are probably not a good thing. Also, when cardboard is recycled, it can become another paper product. it does NOT sit in the landfill.

 

[Highbeam]

Since burn barrels are illegal in my state. Yes, I'm serious. I have a very large recreational fire pit that I use for all of my "dry" paper waste including the cardboard. Starting fires in my stove is done with firestarters from walmart. 10$ for a large box that I chop up into golf ball sized nuggets that last all year.

There's not enough room in our small stoves to screw around with bulky things like cardboard.

 

[firefighterjake]

Random thoughts . . .

I use cardboard on occasion . . . although I don't use my woodstove as an incinerator, don't stuff it full of cardboard and prefer to use corrugated cardboard vs. the more "smooth" or "plasticky" cardboard (think cereal boxes and frozen foods). That said, I have had no issues using any type . . . but again . . . I'm not running an incinerator . . . just burning up a bit of cardboard to get the kindling going.

That said . . . since the question originally raised was what to do with the non-corrugated, unrecyclable cardboard strictly environmentally speaking . . . I would think putting it in the trash would be best . . . at least here since a lot of the combustibles will be burned at the trash plants to generate electricity or at the very least would be land-filled where they should break down over time.

Final thought . . . I don't lose sleep over burning a bit of cardboard in my woodstove or fret that I'm going to ruin my woodstove.

 

[nate379]

Where I live the covenants say no burn barrels, but everyone here has one anyway. Provided a person isn't burning old tires and smoking up half the state no one is going to complain.... and it is also my "fire pit" as well. I usually bring my trash to work and toss in that dumpster, but sometimes I have too much or not headed to work for a few days, then I burn it.

Hmm, "You might be a redneck if..."

Since burn barrels are illegal in my state. Yes, I'm serious. I have a very large recreational fire pit that I use for all of my "dry" paper waste including the cardboard. Starting fires in my stove is done with firestarters from walmart. 10$ for a large box that I chop up into golf ball sized nuggets that last all year.

There's not enough room in our small stoves to screw around with bulky things like cardboard.

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

I just came home from work. Looks like everyone chimed in on Mr. Kelly's response. Beat me to it.

 

[Wood Duck]

I think the net environmental impact of burning cardboard depends on how cleanly you burn it and the efficiency of the system that takes your cardbord to a recycling plant. In some places recycling cardboard may require a lot of transportation just to collect the carboard, and then additional transportation to get the collected, bundled cardboard to a recycling plant. if you are far from a plant and far from the recycling collection center then maybe burning and using the heat to offset your use of fossil fuels is a better use of the cardboard than sending it a long distance for recycling.

 

[wkpoor]

Where I live the covenants say no burn barrels, but everyone here has one anyway. Provided a person isn't burning old tires and smoking up half the state no one is going to complain.... and it is also my "fire pit" as well. I usually bring my trash to work and toss in that dumpster, but sometimes I have too much or not headed to work for a few days, then I burn it.

Hmm, "You might be a redneck if..."

OK 2 questions. What is a covenant? And you live in the great state of Alaska and there is places that say no burn barrels? What is the world coming to. We burn all of our trash and a neighbor down the road has burn barrels for sale ready with drain holes in the bottom so people in the area have a supply to burn their trash in too.

 

[pen]

Mr. Kelly, has your question been well answered?​

​

Any more comments relating to burning cardboard in a wood stove?​

​

pen​

 

[billb3]

what paperboard or chipboard can't be recycled ?
The only cardboard they won't take here is pizza boxes because they get oil soaked.

I have to pay $85/ year for recycling and a dollar a bag for trash
I recycle everything I possibly can.

 

[peakbagger]

FYI, the reason many areas and some state ban burn barrels is that some folks cant figure out what is safe to burn and what is not safe. I saw a study once that a single home owner can put out more dioxin (a very toxic poison)in a burn barrel than a power plant is permitted for a entire year. The source of the homeowner dioxin is burning chorinated plastics (PVC) which burn real well. The burn barrel is a also a ground source with lousy dispersion characteristics so a lot of the nasties produced end up nearby.

 

[pen]

I think this has been well answered. Mr. Kelly, if you have something you'd like to follow up w/ or a question, let me know and I'll open things back up.

pen