Cleaner-burning Fireplace Logs

Posted on October 22, 2008 by Joyce Benson
Tag(s): Events, Going Green, Greening the Home

Cozying up to a roaring fireplace is one of only a few winter pleasures (at least in my opinion), but does it have a negative impact on the environment and the air we breathe? Of course chopping down trees or burning non-renewable natural gas isn’t exactly eco-friendly, but there are some other options available to build a clean-burning, robust fire at home. And you won’t treck in any bugs with these manufactured firelogs!

How about a firelog made of spent coffee grounds? Don’t worry the caffeine in the Java-Log won’t keep you up all night! It’s comprised of all natural, non-petroleum vegetable wax, coffee grounds, and natural binders. Even the packaging contains 100% recycled content. It burns up to 96% cleaner than wood and produces significantly less: residue after combustion (96%), carbon monoxide (87%), creosote deposits (86%), particulate matter (83%). With a great flame that burns for 2-3 hours, it’ll keep you warm and toasty. It’s easy to use and easy to find at your local grocery store.

The more traditional Duraflame log has now switched to using non-petroleum, natural waxes combined with sawdust and agricultural biomass for their logs. For a 3-4 hour fire, one Duraflame log will do the trick, whereas about 4 wood logs would need to be burned. This means far less resources consumed and less pollutants (90%) are emitted into the air. Significant reductions in fine particulate matter (80%) and carbon monoxide (75%) are also advantageous.

Pine Mountain offers an All-Natural firelog made from sawdust and vegetable wax that burns for 2-3 hours. It emits 85% less carbon monoxide, 76% less particulates, and results in 85% less combustion residue, when compared to oak cordwood in a typical fire. These logs, like Duraflames, can be found at big box retailers and grocery stores.

photo courtesy of Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association