burning plastic, no, wait a moment!

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Google Lanzatech. Bloody good, no BS NZ company that outgrew NZ, got funding from Sir Richard Bransen, set up in USA somewhere I think, and has, amongst their other more core carbon gas eating ones, genetic engineered bacteria that eats plastic, creating ethanol, etc.
 
Wow said:
I've used ONLY wood heater to warm my house for 27 or more years.
Sometimes I burn brush piles as needed to clear land. I start lots of fires.

There are some good tricks for starting fires.
First, Kitchen used Grease or oil.

You can heat old cooking oil in a frying pan if you have a stove top.
Pour that right onto the wood. DON'T USE over 1 or 2 ounces.
Take a paper towel put visaline or something like that on it wad up. Light one corner toss onto wood making sure to light the oil.

Diesel.

I use a small metal can and an ounce of Diesel in the can. Then stuff paper towels or old cotton cloth into the can while forming a wick at the top.

Then I put that beneath some dry small sticks then just light the wick.
Add sticks as needed the diesel burns while. That works great for brush fires and might could be used in a wood heater.
When burning outdoors a bigger can and a few more ounces of Diesel works and burns longer.

Warning!! NEVER NEVER use Gasoline or ANYTHING with a high flash point to start fires.

Thirdly.

Napkins and paper.

Rub Vaseline onto napkin or paper. Wad up the paper to evenly spread Vaseline on it.

Light that with a match and add kindling.

In my wood heater I use small SPLIT firewood (dry oak) to start fires.

I saw Straight grained cured wood into 6 inch blocks.

I recommend never ALWAYS Use SAFETY GLASSES AND LEATHER GLOVES.

The I use a hatchet to quarter the wood blocks.

Take those quarters and split them a few times to reduce size.

Make some then the size of lead pencils.

Lay kindling Criss cross. We call it North and South logs.

Put paper towel with Vaseline between the first 4 pieces then criss cross several layers above that.
Set paper towel afire. When the fire starts burning wait until the kindling is fully engulfed and slowly start adding some bigger wood.

I use about 4 different sizes of wood.

The put I my regular firewood ontop of thr burning kindling.

I start with two or three pieces spaced an inch or so apart so air can flow and catch them afire.

Once I get hot coals I can add more wood as needed.

I also keep on hand a hollow metal tube 36 inches long.

Thats used to wake up hot coals when I blow air on them using the tube.

When im cooking I burn my egg shells, paper towels, coffees grounds even onion skins in the wood heater.

The ashes are put on the land. Makes good soil.

Your Question! Was!!!

My answer is no.
No plastic in my wood heater BUT foam egg crates are, at times used to start fires. They burn up and leave a big crumbly lump of ash which Simply dissapears when put on the ground and stepped on.

You probably know a lot more than me about Plastic.

I just know how to get by, thats all.

I moved here in the middle of a forest and built a 20 foot across Tepee. My first wooden Structure was a shed for tools and my Honda 3 wheeler.
My second building was an 8 by 12 building of my own design with a Gambrel roof and bedroom up stairs.

Later built my house and bought land all around me.

I still use the Wood heatet that I started out with.

Bought a new one several years ago but its stored in the barn. Just wasn't as good as the old one. Good luck. Sorry I ramble.
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Very detailed!
 
Household plastics like solo cups and food grade plastics are not the same as industrial plastics. Food grade plastics are designed to be burned because many people do still burn there household refuge. Industrial plastics are different.
 
sb47 said:
Household plastics like solo cups and food grade plastics are not the same as industrial plastics. Food grade plastics are designed to be burned because many people do still burn there household refuge. Industrial plastics are different.
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Please show me some article somewhere that states food grade plastics are designed to be burned. Seriously, I would love to read it.
 
jrider said:
Please show me some article somewhere that states food grade plastics are designed to be burned. Seriously, I would love to read it.
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It will take you all of 10 seconds to goolge food grade plastic. Do I have to do everything for you? You have the internet, do your own homework. I'll even give you a hint HDPE PET/PETE and PVC.
 
unclemoustache said:
https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/3/18/18271470/us-cities-stop-recycling-china-ban-on-recycles


Recycling is not what it's cracked up to be. It seems like a simple process to us average joes, but what does the recycling company do with it? How expensive is it to turn recycled things into useful things? The outcome is not all that great.
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Yep. Just because something is "recyclable," it doesn't mean it makes sense to recycle it. The recycling guys want copper, aluminum, some steel, and not much else. A huge percentage of what gets taken away from the curb around here eventually goes in the landfill.
 
sb47 said:
Oil and gas is produced by the earth, so there for it's not man made and is organic.[/QUOT
sb47 said:
It will take you all of 10 seconds to goolge food grade plastic. Do I have to do everything for you? You have the internet, do your own homework. I'll even give you a hint HDPE PET/PETE and PVC.
Click to expand...
Why do so many people on this site act so tough. I asked a serious question and all I got was grief and attitude. Almost not worth coming in here at all.
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sb47 said:
It will take you all of 10 seconds to goolge food grade plastic. Do I have to do everything for you? You have the internet, do your own homework. I'll even give you a hint HDPE PET/PETE and PVC.
Click to expand...
I searched "are food grade plastics designed to be burned" in a search. Came up with nothing. Once again, please show me something that supports it so I can learn.
 
Del_ said:
Lock yourself in your garage with your car running and see how that organic works out for you.
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Lock your self in any air tight place and light a fire, you will also die from the lack of oxygen. It's true carbon monoxide will kill you faster but the end result is the same.
 
sb47 said:
It will take you all of 10 seconds to goolge food grade plastic. Do I have to do everything for you? You have the internet, do your own homework. I'll even give you a hint HDPE PET/PETE and PVC.
Click to expand...

Googled it and it is not safe. The very items you suggest as 'safe' are labeled as unsafe.

"The burning of polystyrene polymers - such as foam cups, meat trays, egg containers, yogurt and deli containers - releases styrene. Styrene gas can readily be absorbed through the skin and lungs. At high levels styrene vapor can damage the eyes and mucous membranes. Long term exposure to styrene can affect the central nervous system, causing headaches, fatigue, weakness, and depression. Not only these people who are burning the trash are exposed to these pollutants, but also their neighbours, children and families.

https://www.wecf.eu/cms/download/2004-2005/homeburning_plastics.pdf
 
Del_ said:
Ever hear of 'styrene'?
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Yes. It an organic compound.
Styrene, also known as ethenylbenzene, vinylbenzene, and phenylethene, is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5CH=CH2. This derivative of benzene is a colorless oily liquid that evaporates easily and has a sweet smell, although high concentrations have a less pleasant odor.

Styrene is a liquid that can be chemically linked to create polystyrene, which is a solid plastic that displays different properties. Polystyrene is used to make a variety of important consumer products, such as foodservice containers, cushioning for shipping delicate electronics, and insulation.

Polystyrene (PS) plastic is a naturally transparent thermoplastic that is available as both a typical solid plastic as well in the form of a rigid foam material. PS plastic is commonly used in a variety of consumer product applications and is also particularly useful for commercial packaging

Is polystyrene environmentally friendly? Despite what you may have heard, expanded polystyrene (EPS) is environmentally friendly. Made from 98% air, no toxic substances are used in the manufacture of EPS and it is 100% recyclable.
 
sb47 said:
Yes. It an organic compound.
Styrene, also known as ethenylbenzene, vinylbenzene, and phenylethene, is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5CH=CH2. This derivative of benzene is a colorless oily liquid that evaporates easily and has a sweet smell, although high concentrations have a less pleasant odor.

Styrene is a liquid that can be chemically linked to create polystyrene, which is a solid plastic that displays different properties. Polystyrene is used to make a variety of important consumer products, such as foodservice containers, cushioning for shipping delicate electronics, and insulation.

Polystyrene (PS) plastic is a naturally transparent thermoplastic that is available as both a typical solid plastic as well in the form of a rigid foam material. PS plastic is commonly used in a variety of consumer product applications and is also particularly useful for commercial packaging

Is polystyrene environmentally friendly? Despite what you may have heard, expanded polystyrene (EPS) is environmentally friendly. Made from 98% air, no toxic substances are used in the manufacture of EPS and it is 100% recyclable.
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None of what you are posting mentions safe to burn.

"The burning of polystyrene polymers - such as foam cups, meat trays, egg containers, yogurt and deli containers - releases styrene. Styrene gas can readily be absorbed through the skin and lungs. At high levels styrene vapor can damage the eyes and mucous membranes. Long term exposure to styrene can affect the central nervous system, causing headaches, fatigue, weakness, and depression. Not only these people who are burning the trash are exposed to these pollutants, but also their neighbours, children and families."
 
Crud oil is made up of thousands of naturally broken down organic compounds all mixed up together. We just use processes to separate them into there purest form. They are still organic in nature. Plants and animals also produce oils in different forms. It's only when you are exposed to high concentrations do they become toxic. Water is toxic in high concentrations do they become an issue.
 
Del_ said:
None of what you are posting mentions safe to burn.

"The burning of polystyrene polymers - such as foam cups, meat trays, egg containers, yogurt and deli containers - releases styrene. Styrene gas can readily be absorbed through the skin and lungs. At high levels styrene vapor can damage the eyes and mucous membranes. Long term exposure to styrene can affect the central nervous system, causing headaches, fatigue, weakness, and depression. Not only these people who are burning the trash are exposed to these pollutants, but also their neighbours, children and families."
Click to expand...

You said it yourself. Only in high concentrations does it become a problem. Minimal exposure in small doses the body can filter it out. Drink enough water to fast and it to will become toxic to the body.
 

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