If you're sick of all the negative headlines around woodburning, here's some good news for you!
Between 2023 and 2024, the amount of PM10 and PM2.5 from home wood burning continued to fall by nearly one thousand tonnes! That's more than the drops in emissions from agriculture, industrial combustion and road transport combined.
A report released this month, February 2026, by DEFRA (the government department in charge of air quality) released the most recent statistics on air pollution and PM emissions in the UK and the results are good news for those of us who love our log burners
Graph Source: Defra
What are PM2.5 and PM10?
PM, or particulate matter, are tiny particles of solids or liquids in the air. Some we can see, like smoke and soot, and others are microscopic, but they're all small enough that we breathe them in.
The number refers to the size of the particles, so PM10 are four times the size of PM2.5 and are generally more visible.
When the Defra report refers to PM10 it means all particles up to and including PM10, so PM2.5 numbers are included in the PM10 numbers as well as being reported on separately. Therefore PM10 numbers will always be higher than PM2.5 numbers.
Why do PM10 and PM2.5 levels matter?
PM10 and PM2.5 can both cause serious health problems if inhaled in large amounts, so it’s important that we reduce them as much as possible.
What can I do to reduce my own PM10 and PM2.5 emissions?
Your PM emissions from burning wood in your log burner generally depends on three things – the efficiency of your wood burning stove, how you use it and the type and quality of the wood you burn.
If you've been following or buying from Love Logs for a while, you'll know we're passionate about the quality of our wood, and not just because it gives you a better burning experience.
Burning properly dry hardwood with less than 20% moisture content releases around half of the PM as wet wood, so it's one of the easiest ways to reduce your emissions
A properly fitted Ecodesign Ready stove can also halve the PM emissions compared to an inefficient, older stove which is why all new installations must be Eco-design, but that doesn't mean you can't make the most of your older stove.
As a general rule, the more smoke coming off your fire, the more PM it is emitting. Whilst it's tempting to close the vents and let your fire smoulder to make it last longer, it will give off more smoke and therefore PM, which isn't pleasant for you or the environment! It's better to leave your vents slightly open to give your fire a constant flow of oxygen so it burns hot and clean.
What's causing the drop in PM levels in the UK?
It’s certainly not people burning less wood! According to the Stove Industry Association (SIA), over half a million multi-fuel and wood burning stoves were purchased between 2022 and 2025
There are three key reasons that PM emissions are going in the right direction in the UK, despite more people burning wood
- Reduction in domestic coal burning
- Increase in awareness and understanding of the importance of burning properly dry, good quality wood
- Installation of 'Eco Design' stoves
New regulations took effect in May 2022 which banned the sale of wet wood to home users and mandated that all new stove installations should be 'Eco-Design' and it's clear that these measures have had a positive impact!
Why is domestic wood burning being demonised?
We’ve spoken before about dramatic headlines which blame domestic wood burning for all of the PM emissions in the UK, and there have even been calls from various groups to ban wood burners in the UK.
These latest Defra figures show that domestic wood burning made up just 10.6% of the overall total of PM10 in the UK with 'industrial processes and product use' being responsible for 36%. As we've said before, it’s much easier to blame consumers than corporations!
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