In theory, a homeowner can more or less do what they'd like with their own property. But what happens when those activities begin directly harming their neighbors?
This was the type of frustrating dilemma facing one Redditor, who posted a rant complaining about their garbage-burning neighbors.
"We have neighbors who burn their trash, weeds, and who knows what else AT LEAST once a week," they wrote in the r/NeighborsFromH*** community. "It's frustrating as I am sensitive to smells and get headaches easily. It wouldn't be a problem if it was less frequent or didn't last for hours at a time. Honestly, I don't know how they get so much stuff to burn!"
The burning has gotten so bad that the original poster wrote that it's kept them from spending any time outdoors or even leaving their windows open.
"It smells awful and is causing me migraines," they complained.
"I'd look into your local laws, in some places it's illegal," one person suggested. "Happened with a neighbor when I was a kid and the police did get involved and were able to put a stop to it."
"Show no mercy. … It's strictly forbidden," another wrote. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, many state, local, and tribal governments do have bans or stringent restrictions around burning in place.
The laws were put in place for good reason. When trash — especially plastic — is burned, it releases the toxic chemicals and heavy metals lurking inside, per Oklahoma State University. And unfortunately, these chemicals are easily blown in the wind around the neighborhood, where they can be unknowingly absorbed by people.
"The fumes from it can actually cause long-term health problems," one commenter wrote.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reported that some of the most dangerous chemicals released during burning, such as dioxins, actually migrate into the food chain by sticking to the leaves of crops and plants. Additionally, they pointed out, anything that escapes unburned will continue to disintegrate, with some becoming "a breeding ground for diseases" and posing risks from accidental ingestion by animals.
So instead, the OP's neighbors should recycle and compost whatever they can before properly disposing of the trash. Otherwise, they may quite literally have to pay the price.
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