Log fire waste disposal

[wklein]

I live on a boat on a trot mooring on a tidal river in Westcountry. We have fitted a davey & co hotpot and burn 50:50 coal and wood. Every morning i drop the ash over the leeward side and feel a little pang of guilt. Just wondered if this was justified or if there was a better way. cheers

 

[sarabande]

it's not justified, and as the ash from a small stove incompletely burnt by secondary airflow may contain various environmental nasties such as creosote and tar acids, it may also be illegal.


Sounds like an easy way out to overboard it, but it might be better to dispose of it onshore, where aerobic degradation will help.

 

[blueglass]

I live on a boat on a trot mooring on a tidal river in Westcountry. We have fitted a davey & co hotpot and burn 50:50 coal and wood. Every morning i drop the ash over the leeward side and feel a little pang of guilt. Just wondered if this was justified or if there was a better way. cheers

If it was purely wood ash I wouldn't have an issue with it - at home I use it in my compost heap. The coal ash however is a very different thing and should be disposed of properly IMHO

 

[Plomong]

Considering the quantity of other material that finds its way into rivers, I would think that a few kg per year of cinders would be the least of our worries.

For example:
1) Did you ever think about tyre wear ??? Where does the material that has worn off your tyres go ??? Washed away down the water drains and straight into the nearest river, of course !!!

2) Did you ever think about unburnt hydrocarbons from cars, vans, lorries and buses ??? Where does that go ??? Washed away down the water drains and straight into the nearest river, of course !!!

3) Did you ever wonder where farm and rural domestic and animal waste goes ??? Most have septic tanks, some have land drains or sinks, but all eventually find their way into a watercourse, with variable amounts of filtering by the septic tanks, drains or sinks, soil layers, rock, etc.

PS: Sarabande: What arrangements do you have ???

4) Did you ever wonder about all those fertilisers, pesticides, etc put on crops and land ??? Where does that go ?? Some (not small proportion) finds its way into our rivers and streams.

5) Did you ever wonder what happens to dead animals, such as rabbits, stoats, rats, mice, moles, etc ??? Some find their way into our rivers, and I have not mentioned animal urine and poo.

So a few ashes -- pah, a trifle, so long as the whole population is not doing the same, and the river has a decent flow volume.

A final question: has anyone here had to clean up a port or marina following a river spate that carried seaward all sorts of waste, some of which was blown by the wind into the port ???

Mostly organic, wasn't it ?? Logs, twigs, sods of grass, etc ???

Or were there other things as well, such as dead animals, plastics of all sorts, shapes and sizes, wooden crates, pallets, bales of hay (yes -- big balls of silage grass as well!!!), etc, etc ???

Plomong

 

[blueglass]

Considering the quantity of other material that finds its way into rivers, I would think that a few kg per year of cinders would be the least of our worries.

For example:
1) Did you ever think about tyre wear ??? Where does the material that has worn off your tyres go ??? Washed away down the water drains and straight into the nearest river, of course !!!

2) Did you ever think about unburnt hydrocarbons from cars, vans, lorries and buses ??? Where does that go ??? Washed away down the water drains and straight into the nearest river, of course !!!

3) Did you ever wonder where farm and rural domestic and animal waste goes ??? Most have septic tanks, some have land drains or sinks, but all eventually find their way into a watercourse, with variable amounts of filtering by the septic tanks, drains or sinks, soil layers, rock, etc.

PS: Sarabande: What arrangements do you have ???

4) Did you ever wonder about all those fertilisers, pesticides, etc put on crops and land ??? Where does that go ?? Some (not small proportion) finds its way into our rivers and streams.

5) Did you ever wonder what happens to dead animals, such as rabbits, stoats, rats, mice, moles, etc ??? Some find their way into our rivers, and I have not mentioned animal urine and poo.

So a few ashes -- pah, a trifle, so long as the whole population is not doing the same, and the river has a decent flow volume.

A final question: has anyone here had to clean up a port or marina following a river spate that carried seaward all sorts of waste, some of which was blown by the wind into the port ???

Mostly organic, wasn't it ?? Logs, twigs, sods of grass, etc ???

Or were there other things as well, such as dead animals, plastics of all sorts, shapes and sizes, wooden crates, pallets, bales of hay (yes -- big balls of silage grass as well!!!), etc, etc ???

Plomong

You make some intersting points but surely our polluted world is as a result of countless small and seemingly insignificant transgressions, whch add up to a massive total. its an integrity issue here IMHO - a few ashes will make no impact alone, but form part of an irresponsible whole. You seem to be saying that because our rivers are already polluted, you may as well chuck in whatever you want.

 

[Poignard]

I live on a boat on a trot mooring on a tidal river in Westcountry. We have fitted a davey & co hotpot and burn 50:50 coal and wood. Every morning i drop the ash over the leeward side and feel a little pang of guilt. Just wondered if this was justified or if there was a better way. cheers

It's trivial. Just pop it in a paper bag and drop it over the side. You are probably doing far more harm by putting your washing up water or hair shampoo in the river.

Don't worry about it - next thing the EcoStasi will be wanting to stop us emptying our teapots into the sea!

 

[blueglass]

It's trivial. Just pop it in a paper bag and drop it over the side. You are probably doing far more harm by putting your washing up water or hair shampoo in the river.

Don't worry about it - next thing the EcoStasi will be wanting to stop us emptying our teapots into the sea!

Personally, I don't even throw paper bags into rivers. I know it wouldn't make much difference in the grand scheme of things - I just like rivers.

 

[ccscott49]

It's trivial. Just pop it in a paper bag and drop it over the side. You are probably doing far more harm by putting your washing up water or hair shampoo in the river.

Don't worry about it - next thing the EcoStasi will be wanting to stop us emptying our teapots into the sea!

+1, I have to agree.

 

[ccscott49]

Considering the quantity of other material that finds its way into rivers, I would think that a few kg per year of cinders would be the least of our worries.

For example:
1) Did you ever think about tyre wear ??? Where does the material that has worn off your tyres go ??? Washed away down the water drains and straight into the nearest river, of course !!!

2) Did you ever think about unburnt hydrocarbons from cars, vans, lorries and buses ??? Where does that go ??? Washed away down the water drains and straight into the nearest river, of course !!!

3) Did you ever wonder where farm and rural domestic and animal waste goes ??? Most have septic tanks, some have land drains or sinks, but all eventually find their way into a watercourse, with variable amounts of filtering by the septic tanks, drains or sinks, soil layers, rock, etc.

PS: Sarabande: What arrangements do you have ???

4) Did you ever wonder about all those fertilisers, pesticides, etc put on crops and land ??? Where does that go ?? Some (not small proportion) finds its way into our rivers and streams.

5) Did you ever wonder what happens to dead animals, such as rabbits, stoats, rats, mice, moles, etc ??? Some find their way into our rivers, and I have not mentioned animal urine and poo.

So a few ashes -- pah, a trifle, so long as the whole population is not doing the same, and the river has a decent flow volume.

A final question: has anyone here had to clean up a port or marina following a river spate that carried seaward all sorts of waste, some of which was blown by the wind into the port ???

Mostly organic, wasn't it ?? Logs, twigs, sods of grass, etc ???

Or were there other things as well, such as dead animals, plastics of all sorts, shapes and sizes, wooden crates, pallets, bales of hay (yes -- big balls of silage grass as well!!!), etc, etc ???

Plomong

Well said!