The warmth and comfort of a backyard fire pit can add to any outdoor gathering. Whether you’re roasting marshmallows, having a bonfire, or just enjoying the flickering flames, it’s important to know how to properly dispose of the ashes once your fire has gone out. Disposing of ashes can be a tricky process and knowing what steps to take is essential for both your safety and the environment. Discover the safe and responsible way about how to dispose of ashes from fire pit! Learn the steps to take for a quick and efficient clean-up.
Why Ashes From A Fire Pit Matter?
When it comes to fire pits, knowing how to properly dispose of ashes is important. The ashes from a fire pit can contain dangerous toxins and chemicals that could be hazardous when not handled correctly. Failing to properly dispose of the ashes from a fire pit can cause air pollution, water pollution, and even harm humans if inhaled.
Ashes should never be disposed of in landfills because they are made up of toxic materials such as lead, arsenic, and mercury that can seep deep into the soil and contaminate plants and animals. Ashes also have the potential to create an explosion hazard if they are still hot or contain embers so it’s essential to wait at least 48 hours after your last burn before disposing them.
How To Dispose of Ashes From Fire Pit
If you’ve recently had a party in your backyard with a fire pit, it’s important to know how to properly deal with ashes afterward. The two ways are disposal in the trash or recycling the ash for free with TerraCycle’s Zero Waste Box.
Disposal in Trash
To dispose of ashes from your fire pit in the trash, simply wrap them up tightly and put them inside an airtight bag, then secure it shut before throwing it away. If you do this, be sure to double-bag the ashes. Using a thicker plastic trash bag will also help secure the ashes.
Even if you use an airtight bag, ashes will eventually get outside of the bag and around your house, which is why you need to double-bag them. Plastic bags usually aren’t thick enough to contain them, so it’s better to just be safe. If your plastic bag does not have a secure opening for tying it shut like this one does, you can tuck the top of the bag inside itself before securing it shut with a trash tie or rubber band like this one .
Recycling
If you want to recycle your ashes, TerraCycle’s Zero Waste Box is ideal for this purpose. The box can handle anything from paper to wood waste too. No matter what you throw in the box, the company will recycle it for you. They do the work for you—you simply fill it up with your content and then mail it in. The box comes with a label pre-printed that says “Straw ash” or “Charcoal ash.” If you use an ordinary trash bag , just cut a hole in the corner of the bag and then fold it over to make a small pouch that can be tied together snugly like this one .
Here is How to dispose of ashes from fire pit:
Removing Ashes Safely:
The safest way to get rid of ashes is to shovel them into a pile, burn them, and then use the ash to fertilize plants. However, unless you have a good reason not to do so (say, you are allergic), it’s best not to breathe in excess amounts of smoke from burning wood.
If these precautions are ignored, breathing in large quantities of smoke can land you in the hospital. In addition to causing breathing problems, excessive amounts of smoke can cause liver damage or even death. Burning wood without proper ventilation is dangerous for your family as well since it emits toxins that may cause cancer or heart disease in those who inhale them.
What You Will Need:
- Sturdy shovel or spade
- Rubber gloves, a dust mask, and eye protection [if using steel wool]
Steel Wool/Charcoal Ash:
These are available at hardware stores and recycling centers. If you do not have steel wool but still want to use it for this project, simply mix it with a powdered charcoal product to make it easier to use. Steel wool can also be purchased online from a variety of online retailers. As an alternative to using steel wool, some people simply take their old barbecue grill and burn it into ashes. Others try the same thing by slicing their charcoal grill into pieces and then burning those pieces on top of one another.
Reusing Fire Pit Ash:
Ashes from a fire pit or charcoal grill can be reused as fertilizer to grow plants in your garden. To do this, simply add the ashes to the soil around your plants. If you are trying to add them to your compost pile, do not add more than 25% of wood ash.
There is no need to worry about putting too many ashes into your compost pile because they will break down right alongside everything else in there. Wind and rain will also play their part in breaking them down, so even if you forget about adding ashes for a little while, they’ll still eventually break down.
If you are considering using steel wool for your project, make sure that you first seal the paper or cardboard packaging in order to protect it from burning up. You can add steel wool and a few straws of ash directly into the soil or compost pile if you prefer.
If you have ever burned charcoal with a gas grill and then thrown ashes over the side of your house, it may be a better idea to simply use steel wool for this project instead. As long as it does not burn, ash will not produce toxic fumes that can damage people’s lungs, as long as they do not breathe in all of the smoke during the burning process.
FAQs
What kind of ash do I need?
The best way to figure out what type of ash you will need is to take a sample of your potentially hazardous waste and use it to determine the amount of ash it contains. If you do not have a quick way to determine the volume of ashes that you removed, look at your grill (or fire pit) after the event, or call your local fire department. Their inspectors are usually willing to help you out with this project.
Where do you dump ash from a fire pit?
If you come up with a bulk amount of ashes, you can either simply throw them in a plastic bags or place them in your garden as fertilizer. However, if you’re only thinking about disposal in your yard, that is not the best idea to do. After all, it will only cause a lot of work for you later on when it’s time to clean up the garbage. You should instead put those gutters and yard waste into a garbage bin (e.g., the one you use for leaves or the one that is marked with green and yellow tags). The garbage company will then take care of disposing of it. They usually make their own bags out of whatever they collect, so to make sure everything will fit in them, you should measure the trash before deciding to put it into a bag.
Does it matter if I use an airtight plastic bag?
Yes, a quality airtight bag is definitely required so that no contents leaks out when it’s thrown away. If you do not want to buy an airtight plastic bag , simply use two bags that are stitched together or have zippers on them. However, double-bagging your ashes is always best because you can double-bag bigger items like tires or furniture as well.
Can I dispose of my ashes and other waste items in one trash bag?
If you are trying to clean up your own yard, it’s better to separate everything into different bags. For example, if you want to dispose of leaves, you should use one bag for them. However, if you want to dispose of another type of waste (e.g., a piece of furniture), then that would be the ideal time to use two bags instead. One bag should hold ashes or other solid waste while the other should hold light materials like paper or cardboard since those materials will not burn in the same way that ashes do.
What do you do with ashes from a fire pit?
Since ashes from a fire pit will contain contaminants, it is best to dispose of them in a sanitary landfill. However, if you have a fire pit or grill that is made of steel, then you can also recycle your ashes by pouring them into the trash. The best time to do this is on a day where it’s not too cold outside.
From ash, you can make soap and fertilizers. You can also mix it with sand to make a plaster used for casting molds. It is no longer recommended that you simply throw ash in your yard because of the problems it may cause with regards to insect life in the soil and contamination from toxins from plastic or cardboard packaging. In addition, keep in mind that some states have banned this practice since it causes high amounts of pollution and waste; some states include New Jersey (since 2008), Delaware (since 2011), Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Vermont. However, in states like Maine and Virginia, residents are permitted to dispose of their ashes in their yards and garden as long as they do not exceed 25% of the total weight.
In 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) started working with states to try to reduce the waste and pollution that occurs by using fire pits and grills.
Beyond simple recycling, there is also a trend of using metal and wood ash to create Eco-friendly goods such as ceramic porcelain tiles, pots and pans, soaps, body kits for cars or even use it as an ingredient for making road salt that contains less chloride than regular salt.
Even though it may seem like an easy task to dispose of all of your ashes, it can become a difficult project. For one thing, you have to find a way that your friends, neighbors and relatives will be okay with this idea. Another thing is that you will want to measure the amount of ashes that you have before deciding how much of it you should add to your garden or the compost pile.
Ashes from your grill can end up on the ground (especially in areas where there are kids) or blown around by storms. They can also get into groundwater by blowing into storm drains. They might even infiltrate sewer lines and trick some pipes into thinking they are bones when they are just ash.
Can you throw ashes in the garbage?
This is something that some people do if they have to because they do not have any other option. However, you should try to dispose of ashes in a sanitary landfill rather than in your yard. This is because your yard may become a regular spot for garbage collection, and these periodic garbage collections will probably get rid of your ashes along with the rest of your trash.
When you use the services of a company like Waste Management, you can choose from different options. You may either end up giving them all of your waste items or just throwing in one or two bags with all the waste items that you cannot handle yourself.
The purpose of that company is to be able to process all of these waste items for you and make sure that everything is then disposed of in the proper way.
When it comes to using the services of a garbage collection service, there are pros and cons. On the positive side, you will not have to worry about trying to deal with other people or figuring out a way that you can get rid of your trash properly. If you have enough space inside your house for these items, then using a garbage collection service is no problem at all.
Are ashes from fire pit good for garden?
Yes, ashes from fire pits can grow plants. However, if you want to use these ashes for your plants, then you may not want to use them for your garden or tomatoes. This is because the ashes will contain metals and other toxins that may not be good for your body (or the plants) when ingested.
If you are a bird owner, then it would only make sense to clean out their cage after they have passed away. If they have died inside their cage instead of outside of it, then you probably have some ash that can be used as potting mix or fertilizer in your yard.
If you want to throw ashes in your garden, you will have to think about the plants that you are going to use it as fertilizer with. After all, there is no guarantee that these plants will be able to withstand any loss of nutrients that may occur. It might be best if you just used it as a top dressing for your existing soil before planting new plants.
Another downside to this practice is that some people may not want their plants located close to a fire pit because of the potential for insects getting inside and infesting the area. If there are no nearby trees or any other sources of shade from rain or sun, then this could cause problems for the plant. This could also cause problems for the plant because of the ash that is going to get mixed in.
Plants that you can use ashes from fire pits for include: vegetables, herbs, fruit bushes, fruit trees, and flowers. The list of plants that you may use these ashes for are endless. This list includes all kinds of trees and shrubs found in nature like mangoes and avocado trees.
However, if you want to be sure that your plants are safe to use ashes from fire pit for, then make sure that it does not contain any toxic chemicals or metals on its own; if it does then it will be better if you substitute with something else.
Can I spread ashes on my lawn?
Ashes from fire pits can sit on the ground for a long period of time. Although this does not necessarily mean that it will become unattractive, you should try to rake them up and put them back into your compost pile. If you try to spread ashes on your lawn, then you might have problems with any pests or bugs that may be living in your soil.
Ashes from fire pits are very toxic as they contain many chemicals like barium, which is a remediation chemical that can only be released from the human body in cases of heat shock. So, if you use ashes from fire pit for anything more than soil amendments, then make sure that you rinse them off first so as to not harm any nearby species.
Conclusion
After you have used your fire pit to cook or to keep warm in the winter, then it is time to clean up. You need to clean up all of the ashes and other waste products that are still left over inside the fire pit.
You do not have to worry about getting any of these materials into your water or even into your food because all of these materials will be cleaned up inside of the fire pit itself before you are done cooking.
