Local 'county council' has banned the burning of ALL garden waste.

[Jardiniere]

Our local county council or departement as they are called here has totally banned all burning of garden waste .. my garden is on a small road but any bonfire could be seen in the village so there is no chance of me having a sneaky one. All waste presumably has to be taken to the local dump (dechatterie).
We are still clearing our land so had intended to burn all the brambles and tree seedlings that are coming up - the plot was a wood for about 18 years. Even foresters and farmers have restrictions on what and when they can burn.
Presumably its for environmental reasons ..it cant be money making as the dechatterie is free..
worried they will try to ban wood burning stoves next ...i think there would be a mighty riot if that were to happen.

[Snadger]

We can't have bonfires from 1st April to 1st November.

Luckily I have wood burning stove in my greenhouse which I am allowed to use. I stuff brambles and prunings in it.

[Olorin2001]

You could compost, anything that was alive will compost, a chipper/shreader will reduce the volume. Shreaded you can burn it on a wood stove.
If you can store stuff until it is really dry then it burns with very little smoke, and late at night I find a bonfire has no smoke, expecially if the wind is in such a direction that it annoys no-one.
And if anyone complains you can tell them it is suprising what kids will set fire to for a laugh, or adopt the attitude - WHO ME, no it was those people over the road.

[VirginVegGrower]

Are incinerators covered by the no bonfire ruling?

[bearded bloke]

Build yourself a fish/meat/cheese smoker

[Hazel at the Hill]

I'm guessing that trips to the dechatterie are a pain with brambles & stuff, Jardiniere, as they are bulky to transport (unless you have or have access to a trailer?). Mind you, at least they are free - here there is talk of frequent users of the tip having to register, or have restrictions (or pay) for what they dispose of.

Perhaps the way forward for you is to invest in a shredder for the smaller stuff - then you can either use it as mulch, or to add to the compost? Larger stuff to be sawn up for the woodburner.

Are your neighbours in the same boat, and what do they do? (gallic shrug and carry on buring??)

[sir david]

Same here in Angers . No notice of the change , big posters around the allotment site .
yet it does not seems to have stopped the big commercial horticulturalists on the site next door

David

[Two_Sheds]

invest in a shredder for the smaller stuff - then you can either use it as mulch,... Larger stuff to be sawn up for the woodburner.

Just what I do.
I have lots of shrubs & trees to prune at school, and a few at home too. Urban garden size, not acres. I don't have a shredder, I chop the wood up with loppers and use it as

- mulch
- beetle habitat (stacked up in a dark corner)
- big arm-size lumps go in the chiminea which goes on one day a year when it's Summer In Norfolk

[VirginVegGrower]

My allotment neighbour, the one who doesn't tut, have her dog offlead or condemn raised beds/no dig reckons that she's ignoring our no bonfire rule by using an incinerator which isn't covered in the rules. I must say I like her attitude - she's new. But is she right?
If she is, then I'm taking mine up there.

[alldigging]

You might want to see what your insurance says too.

[kizkiz]

Or do what the French normally do in the face of bureaucracy.....ignore it totally

[Two_Sheds]

using an incinerator which isn't covered in the rules.

The reason for banning bonfires is pollution (smell and/or smut), so if the incinerator doesn't produce those, I guess it's OK.

Until the authorities catch on

[Alison]

Somebody on our site used to have a load of bonfires and to be honest I hated them, the smell (which went on all day) made me leave my plot on several occaisions, really hard to get it out your nose . A couple of other people have incinerators which don't seem as bad but not sure if its that or what they're burning ie there may have been plastic or painted surfaces in the really bad one. Personally I'd never have a fire as I hate them so much and haven't really found it a problem but suppose it does depend on what you're trying to get rid of - like above, I tend to chop down and either compost or mulch (no point in getting a shredder as no power at the plot anyway)

[PyreneesPlot]

I wonder what the rules are down here?
Our neighbour has two or three fires a week, which is impressive as his garden is tiny and he is only here three or four days a week. I think he may burn illicit stuff!
Round here the bracken and brambles all get burned off in the spring so you can see fires all over the hills.

[Jardiniere]

Thanks for all the advice....well the ban allegedly came in last year altho I didnt know..my neighbours two doors down had a bonfire (they are very old and have a gardener) a few days ago.He was obviously a very competent person as the fire made very little smoke. Its a question of ignoring it if you can get away with it I reckon along with the gallic shrug! Trouble with a shredder is that they are very very expensive and there is no electricity down on my plot.Sure I'll manage a work around.