When old telegraph poles are replaced, the wood has historically been either sent to landfill or incinerated.

But recently, it has been recognised that old telegraph poles are quite bad for the environment and as such need to be disposed of by professionals.

But aren’t they just wood?

So, why are old telegraph poles considered hazardous? Well, this comes down to the chemicals they are treated with in order to protect them from the elements during their useful lifetime, and the way they are disposed of.

The poles are often chemically treated, with creosote, pentachlorophenol or AC500 which is a green water-based pressure treatment. These treatments are designed to stop the wood from rotting and extend the life of the poles.

These treatments are highly effective in preserving telegraph poles (Indeed, the Telegraph Pole Appreciation Society states that there are still telegraph poles in operation from 1908!) however when the poles are retired that is when these chemicals can cause harm.

If the poles are sent to landfill these chemicals can leach into ground water and damage the environment. If they are incinerated they release harmful gases and particulates into the air if not burned in a controlled circumstances.

So how should telegraph poles be disposed of?

Telegraph, utility and other wooden poles that are considered hazardous should be disposed of by a properly licensed waste handler.

Any business caught burning hazardous wood without a license, sending wood to landfill without properly classifying it or failing to maintain proper waste transfer records can be subject to fines from the Environment Agency.

Twinwoods Heat and Power is one of the few biomass plants licensed to handle all classes of waste wood. We use old telegraph poles to generate clean, green renewable electricity through our biomass plant.

If you are responsible for disposing of wooden pylons, telegraph poles or other treated wood that can be classed as hazardous then get in touch with us today for a chat about your disposal needs and find out how we can save you money.