Embracing alternatives to outdoor burning
Environment Canterbury media release: 8th July 2024
Smoky outdoor fires can be an issue at this time of year. There are alternatives to outdoor burning that are better for our environment and won't impact air quality.
Mulching and Composting
Mulch is used to cover soil. Laying down lawn clippings and leaves for mulching will enrich your soil and plant life. It traps moisture in the soil, which is beneficial in drought-prone areas, maintains nutrients, and helps prevent weed growth.
Organic mulch can be made of bark, leaves, straw, and grass clippings.
Composting organic material like leaves, grass clippings, and food waste is great for your garden and reduces the amount of organic waste going to landfill - win-win! Composting is simple and can be done by anyone, you can even get your kids involved. All you need is a carbon-rich material (dried leaves, for example), nitrogen-rich material (food waste, manure), and water.
Lovefoodhatewaste has a guide to start your at-home compost.
Kerbside collection services or transfer stations
Use your kerbside collection service or take your rubbish to a transfer site to save you from managing an onsite outdoor burn.
You can find more information on collection or transfer sites on your local council’s website.
Recycling farm plastics
Farm plastics can be recycled through:
Outdoor burning requirements
You cannot burn outdoors if your property is under two hectares, even if you live rurally. You will need resource consent to burn green waste.
The only exception to this rule is outdoor cooking including BBQs, pizza ovens, hāngī/umu, as long as the smoke is not offensive and beyond your property boundary.
If your property is larger than two hectares, you can burn dry vegetation, paper, cardboard, and untreated wood only. Do not burn refuse.
Try one or more alternatives like mulching or composting before you burn.
Burning requirements
You must meet the Fire and Emergency New Zealand restrictions and the following requirements if you decide to burn outdoors:
- Burning is 100+ metres upwind and 50+ metres in any other direction from neighbours.
- The material being burnt is dry; moisture content must be less than 25 per cent.
- Smoke is not blown towards a township.
- The material being burnt is from your property and/or only one of your neighbour's properties.
- Smoke does not cause a nuisance beyond your property boundary.
- A smoke management plan is completed if the burn will last 3+ days or for any crop residue burning.
- If you are in a Clean Air Zone, burning only takes place between 1 September and 30 April.
Check which Clean Air Zone you are in and any burning exceptions in your location.
- Liquid fire accelerant used does not exceed 10 litres.
- Burning is not within 100m of a national grid power line or substation (unless you have permission from the owner).
Banned materials
The following materials are not allowed to be burned in Waitaha/Canterbury:
- Painted or treated wood.
- Rubber.
- Wire coated with any material.
- Plastic.
- Material containing asbestos.
- Metals.
- Batteries.
- Used and waste oil.
- Chemicals.
- Tar and bitumen.
- Paint and other surface coating materials.
- Containers that have stored hazardous materials.
Contact Environment Canterbury if you are concerned about a burn in Canterbury.
You can also use the Snap Send Solve app on your phone.