2. Burn barrels

Like most rural householders, my father burned trash in a barrel.  In the cities, residents' trash was picked up by sanitation workers but burn barrels were utilized too.  Using burn barrels is not a smart way to dispose of trash for a lot of reasons.  Today we know that wastes turn into toxic chemicals like dioxins when burned in barrels.  These pollute the land, air, water and food.  Old habits die hard but this is one we need to kick.  Recycling, using landfills or waste-to-energy plants are better for the environment than burning trash in the backyard. 
Image: NYS Dept of Environmental Conservation