This coming weekend is Spark Sunday. Only natural wood may be burnt in order to ensure that customs are preserved.
While in earlier years, waste wood was sometimes burned on the bonfire, this is no longer permitted today. This is because burning waste wood endangers health and the environment. Wood from demolished buildings or construction sites as well as furniture, pallets, fence posts, etc. are considered Waste and can contain toxic heavy metals and other substances that are released in an open fire. Burning plastic-coated wood outdoors can also release dioxins. Investigations of apparently "untreated" wood samples, such as wooden pallets, have shown that well over half of these samples had elevated levels of pollutants.
To protect health and the environment from such pollution, care should therefore be taken to ensure that only natural, dry wood is used on Spark Sunday - as well as when heating with wood at home - and that it is burned with as little smoke as possible.
Contact:
Office of Environment
Bettina Göldi
T +423 236 68 91