Giant Hogweed is a 10 foot high weed which can cause serious burns to skin from the sap.
Due to the size of this weed, is out competes native vegetation and expands year on year if not controlled, producing 30-50,000 viable seeds per year. This particular weed is a hazard to human health and therefore it is important that the spread of it is kept under control. The plants can be cut and pulled, but protective clothing must be worn to avoid the sap. Preventing the seeds from spreading is the most important aspect to removing this weed and any risk of further regrowth. Even when removing the weed from the ground to be disposed of, the seeds will fall within 4m of the plant, therefore the surrounding ground must also be considered polluted with this weed. Giant Hogweed is classed as controlled waste, once pulled from the ground, and so disposal must be carefully considered. You can be fined up to £5,000 or be sent to prison for 2 years if you don’t properly dispose of invasive, non-native plants. With incineration you can be confident that the entire plant and its seeds, and sap are destroyed.
Further Reading
https://www.aisolutions.co.uk/Community/Knowledge/Topic/739/1004/Giant-Hogweed https://www.phsgreenleaf.co.uk/what-is-giant-hogweed-and-how-to-remove-it/ View our range of general incinerators that can be used for the destruction of invasive plants. Also on the Blog: Invasive Plant Species in the UK