Burning your trash:
may be illegal
pollutes
is dangerous
wastes resources

Items can be: 
reused
recycled
donated
composted
disposed of correctly

Consider this about burn barrels:

• They are illegal in the City of Superior, Douglas County and many states
• Nation-wide, each year they produce 13 million pounds of pollutants that are harmful to all life
• They are the leading cause of grass and forest fires
• They are a leading cause of structural fires
• Pollutants from one burn barrel equal a 200-ton/day incinerator

.

And you are doing this in your own back yard!

Help us eliminate all burn barrels. Start recycling, donating, reusing, buying smart, avoiding unnecessary packaging, composting, and bringing all those unwanted hazardous household items to a licensed facility.

Household hazardous waste may be brought to WLSSD or to the next CleanSweep in Douglas County (call 715-395-1293 to inquire about the next CleanSweep event.)

In many parts of Wisconsin, urban as well as rural, burning household waste continues to be the disposal method of choice for a significant part of the population. In Douglas County, it is illegal to burn household waste and you need a permit to burn your yard waste.

Even if you live in an area where burning household waste is allowed, there are several reasons why you should choose to dispose of your waste in another manner.

·        Air Pollution! Household burn barrels, similar homemade devices or fireplaces produce low temperature fires. They receive very little oxygen and produce a lot of smoke. Under these conditions a great many toxic substances are produced. Virtually all of the pollutants are released into the air close to ground level where they are easily inhaled. They smell up the neighborhood and impair vision for motorist.

·        Dioxin! Dioxin is one of the most toxic chemicals; it is the most lethal man-made poison. Even one part/billion causes serious health problems and it is slow to break down and will last for centuries. Dioxin is particularly harmful to our children. It increases infant mortality 40% to 100%! It causes birth defects, infantile eczema, impaired learning abilities, behavior disorders and autism. In adults, it can cause cancer, reproductive disorders, hormone changes, skin diseases, heart disease, diabetes, and allergies.

·        Forest Fires! It is estimated that neglected burn barrels cause 40% of all forest fires. They destroy millions in property and natural habitat.