Don't Burn Vermont |
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DID YOU KNOW BURNING TRASH IS ILLEGAL IN VERMONT?
BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR.
DON'T BURN VERMONT
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WHY DO SOME VERMONTER'S BURN TRASH?
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An Outdated Tradition
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"We've always done it this way..." Yes, burning trash has been done for years and years in Vermont--some might even call it tradition. But this tradition needs to be changed.
Some may want to avoid disposal costs at a landfill or solid waste transfer station. But, burning trash to save a few dollars isn't worth the price of family and neighbors' health.
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- Today's trash is different than yesterday's. There's more plastic in our trash than ever. When burned in a barrel or pile, plastics produce high levels of toxic gases--including dioxins and gases that form hydrochloric acid in our lungs.
- There's more of us than ever. With so many people, smoke from each burn pile adds up fast.
- Midwestern power plants send us their smoke on the prevailing winds, we don't need to add more.
- We have a better understanding of how the air we breathe affects our health. We can no longer put our children's health at risk.
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When you burn trash at home, your trash disposal fees go up in smoke, but so do many other harmful things--right at ground level for everyone to breathe.
It's worth a few bucks to do the right thing to protect your family's health.
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| The "New" Tradition |
Recycle and compost what you can. Bag and trash the rest. It is the best way to deal with your waste, both for our health and for the environment. "Reducing" your trash by turning it into toxic smoke does not help. It makes things worse. It's amazing how much of your trash is recyclable, and recycling is free in our towns! Composting your food waste in your backyard reduces your trash even more.
What Can I Burn? - Vermont law permits the burning of brush and unpainted wood. But many towns require permits for uncontained fires. So before burning, please call your town fire department for permit information.
What About Paper? - Even paper when burned emits dioxins and other harmful substances because of the inks and chemicals used in making paper from wood. It's much better to recycle paper--recycling is free and it saves trees and creates jobs. |
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