Treated wood? If in doubt, leave it out of the burn pile
Recently, we've been spotting chemically-treated pallets and other treated timber in burn piles on properties across Waitaha/Canterbury.
Burning chemically-treated timber, painted wood, MDF, plywood and chipboard creates toxic smoke and ash that’s harmful to health and the environment. To protect your health, your community's health and the environment, never burn these types of wood.
Chemically-treated pallets are sometimes sold as kindling for home heating, but in addition to creating harmful smoke and ash, the chemicals in treated wood will corrode your wood burner.
How to identify chemically-treated wood
Wood stamped with ‘MB’ (methyl bromide) or ‘CCA’ (chromated copper arsenate) has been treated with toxic chemicals and must not be burned. Timber with a greenish tinge is also likely to be chemically treated and should not be burned. If in doubt about whether or not timber is chemically treated, do not burn it anywhere. The only safe and legal way to dispose of treated timber in Waitaha is dropping it to a transfer station.
Find out more about transfer stations in your area from your local council.
Heat-treated pallets stamped with the letters ‘HT’ are safe to burn, but remember to check for and remove any plastic feet or attachments before burning.
Burning rules in Waitaha
If you live on a property less than two hectares in area, you can not burn anything outdoors, even if you live in a rural area. If you live on a property over two hectares in area, you can burn dry vegetation, untreated wood, paper and cardboard as long as you follow the rules, burn responsibly, and ensure smoke does not cause a nuisance beyond your property boundary.
Always visit the Checkitsalright.nz website from Fire and Emergency New Zealand to find out whether you’re in an open, restricted, or prohibited fire season and whether you need a permit for your burn.
If you live in a Clean Air Zone, outdoor burning is only allowed from 1 September to 30 April (for the Kaiapoi, Christchurch, and Timaru Clean Air Zones) or from 1 September to 31 May (for the Rangiora, Geraldine, Ashburton and Waimate Clean Air Zones). Check all the rules on our outdoor burning page.
More information
- Check the rules in the Canterbury Air Regional Plan
- Find good wood for home heating from Trusted Good Wood Merchants
- If smoke from outdoor burning or chimneys is creating issues for you, call us on 0800 765 588 (24 hours) or use the Snap Send Solve app from your mobile device.