SWITZERLAND: Environment Agency bans dirty bonfires

Bonfires will be lit across Switzerland for the national holiday of 1st August, but the national environment agency has warned citizens to keep it clean.


Dry untreated wood is fine, but the burning of any kind of waste – particularly wood covered in plastic or paint – is both harmful to the environment and against the law, says the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment, Forests and Countryside (Buwal).

Particularly high risk, says Buwal, is wood that has been chemically treated. This includes furniture, scaffolding planks, telegraph poles, and railway sleepers, none of which should be burnt in the open air.

Action inspires action. Stay ahead of the curve with sustainability and energy newsletters from edie

Subscribe