Not all wood for burners, stoves, and open fires burn the same. Wet wood, sold like bags of logs in a garden center, DIY stores, and petrol stations, produces more smoke and pollution. These and house coal will soon be banned in England to help cut down on air pollution. People who own wood burners and stoves will have to switch to “cleaner alternatives,” such as dry wood or solid fuels starting 2021. Wales and Scotland are considering such a ban as well.
Environment Secretary George Eustice said:
Cozy open fires and wood-burning stoves are at the heart of many homes up and down the country. But the use of certain fuels means that they are also the biggest source of the most harmful pollutant that is affecting people in the UK.
Coal fires and wood-burning stoves are the dominant sources of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) –microscopic particles that make their way into the body’s blood and lungs when inhaled. The pollutant is one of many that are caused by domestic, industrial, and traffic sources. However, PM2.5 from coal fires and wood-burning stoves contribute three times as much pollution as road transport.
Burning wood and coal for fuel make up 38% of UK’s emissions of PM2.5 – while industrial combustion makes up 16%, the use of industrial processes and solvents 13%, and road transport 12%. Air pollution is the #1 environmental risk to human health in the UK, so the government is working hard to fix this. It is aiming to reduce emissions of PM2.5 by 46% by 2030 to start.
Eustice said:
By moving towards the use of cleaner fuels such as dry wood we can all play a part in improving the health of millions of people. This is the latest step in delivering on the challenge we set ourselves in our world-leading clean air strategy. We will continue to be ambitious and innovative in tackling air pollution from all sources as we work towards our goal to halve the harm to human health from air pollution by 2030.
The new law is not banning coal or wood-burning stoves. The following changes will apply:
- By February 2021, sales of bagged traditional house coal will start to be phased out.
- By 2023, the sale of loose house coal direct to customers will cease.
- By February 2021, sales of wet wood in units under 2m cubed will be restricted. Units higher than 2m cubed will have to be sold with instructions on how to dry it before use.
- Solid fuel manufacturers will have to prove their product has minimal sulfur content so that it only emits a small amount of smoke.
The government has provided plenty of time for the phase-out so the public and suppliers can use up their stocks as they convert to cleaner alternatives.
Some question whether the ban will have much of an effect because many people gather their wood, and there’s no way of knowing if they’re drying it before burning. Wood can be dried in the air, but a kiln is much quicker. However, it does requires using energy, which counteracts the point of the ban in the first place – to reduce air pollution.
