Topic: burning carpets

[elvis2003]

Hi all....I have heard over the years that it is a bad thing to burn carpet due to the toxic nature of it,can anyone confirm this as one of plotholders has started doing so,and he has a massive pile to get through?
Ta in advance
R x

[pumkinlover]

I am sure you are right Rach, I think best would be a telephone to the town hall- environmental health. Unfotunatly it is weekend now but our council web site has a  lot of information, you could check yours.
As secretary you could always ask them to hold off until you have checked it out with the council, but I would tell anyone on our site that we did not want them to burn carpet, and expect them to abide by that.  I discourage carpet gardens now for that reason- the disposal and possible toxins leaching into the soil as they degrade.

[Unwashed]

If it's all-wool with a hessian back I don't think there's much problem with toxicity, though mouldy old wet carpet is going to smoke like mad so it's hardly something you'd want to burn.  I'd guess that foam-backed nylon carpets will produce thick noxious black smoke, and anything plastic will produce dioxin when it burns so that's a really nasty thing to put on the bonfire.

[jimtheworzel]

covering a plot with carpet/black plastic ect is a no no with me,if your just looking for an easy way to clear a plot there aint one, there is only one way....get your spade out and start digging, its hard work but  nothing looks better than a plot dug over end to end, with no cr@p left lying around

[elvis2003]

Thanks guys for all your replies. PKL I got a speedy reply from the council last night who said they dont reccomend this,esp if the carpets are manmade.
Ill try to have a word with this chap,although he seems fairly determined to do things his way as he has ignored the skip I had up there for the last week for this purpose. Oh keeps saying maybe burning them is not as bad as putting them in landfill?
R x

[pumkinlover]

Oh keeps saying maybe burning them is not as bad as putting them in landfill?

Landfill is in a place designated for dumping rubbish
Allotments is a place designated for growing vegetables :D

[elvis2003]

 ;D

[grawrc]

Thanks guys for all your replies. PKL I got a speedy reply from the council last night who said they dont reccomend this,esp if the carpets are manmade.
R x

I'd like to say sorry before I make this comment. Your council's reply about the manmade carpets really made me laugh. I know what they mean of course, but it gave me a mental image of rows of oompaloompas weaving the carpets !! .. or possibly robots? .. or some of Betula's very clever cats?!!


Anyway I don't think it is a good idea to burn carpets at all or ever no matter what. Even the natural fibre ones  will stink and fill the air with horrible smoke fumes which could actually be dangerous for asthmatics.

Our constitution and missive of let say that bonfires are OK if they do not provide a nuisance for others - I would say burning carpets does constitute a nuisance.
 

[lincsyokel2]

Smoke from some man made materials in carpets when burnt  is carcinogenic, mycotoxic and dangerous. Next time he burns one, ring up Environmental Health and point this out to them, and that it is there statutory obligation to do somethign about it. This may produce quicker results than any other method!