Why is it OK to burn garbage in an incinerator and not in a Burn Barrel?

The burn temperature of a permitted municipal waste incinerator is much higher than the temperature of a burn barrel. Poisons produced readily in the low heat of a burn barrel are destroyed in a municipal waste incinerator. Incinerators also have filters, and other pollution control devices. Studies have shown that significantly higher levels of poison are produced in backyard burn barrels than in municipal incinerators.

EPA Backyard Burning Webpage

MPCA Backyard Burning Webpage

Show All Answers

1. Doesn’t most garbage just end up in the landfill?
2. Why is it OK to burn garbage in an incinerator and not in a Burn Barrel?
3. Why is Resource Recovery preferred by the County over landfilling?
4. Where can I bring my waste if I want it to go toward Resource Recovery?
5. Why does the County run a Landfill?