Puget Sound Clean Air Agency gives $350 for recycling eligible wood stoves

Unhealthy fine particles from wood smoke pose a risk to everyone. Children, older adults, and people with heart disease, asthma, and other lung diseases are the most at risk.

Old, uncertified wood stoves and inserts are particularly polluting and inefficient. These wood stoves are no longer legal to sell, purchase, give away, or re-install anywhere in Washington state due to the significant pollution they generate.

You can get money for your old wood stove! For a limited time, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is offering $350 to Kitsap residents who recycle old, polluting wood stoves or fireplace inserts that were manufactured before 2000 or were not EPA certified. Also eligible are free-standing manufactured fireplaces (but not built-in, zero-clearance fireplaces), wood-burning furnaces, or residential coal-burning devices. Learn more about eligible devices and how to apply.

Outdoor Burning 101: What's illegal to burn?

In Washington, most outdoor burning is regulated by the Washington Department of Ecology. Local agencies support these regulations through enforcement, permits, and inspections. Here are some key facts about outdoor burning: Burning any type of garbage or construction debris is not allowed. This includes paper, cardboard, lumber, treated wood, rubber, metal, plastics, dead animals, asphalt, and any substance that emits toxins or bad odors when burned. Using burn barrels is illegal statewide. The fires in burn barrels receive little oxygen and create toxic smoke that stays low to the ground. Land clearing burning is prohibited throughout Kitsap County.

• Outdoor burning (other than recreational fires) is not allowed in urban growth areas. View the Urban Growth Map to learn if your home is in an Urban Growth Area. Homes in urban growth areas can subscribe to curbside composting service as an alternative to burning.
• Outside of urban growth areas, permits are required for non-recreational outdoor burning. Contact your local fire agency to learn about and apply for an outdoor burn permit:
  • Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue
  • South Kitsap Fire and Rescue
  • North Kitsap Fire and Rescue
  • Poulsbo Fire Department
• You can report illegal burning. If you are having trouble breathing or if smoke from an outdoor burn is getting into your house, call 911 for immediate help or report illegal burning.
• Instead of burning, Kitsap residents and businesses can bring yard waste to a permitted yard waste recycling site.