Remember, remember the Fifth of November.

Guy Fawkes Night – commonly referred to as Bonfire or Fireworks Night – commemorates the failure of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605; a failed attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London.  The annual celebrations are now characterised by bonfires and fireworks.

Fireworks are a crowd-pleasing display that are commonly used for public and private celebrations and events: public celebrations such as fireworks night and New Year’s Eve, and even used in more intimate settings to celebrate weddings and other milestones.

Despite the beautiful bright lights, there is a heightened awareness of the impact fireworks have on the environment, air quality, and the storage and disposal of used, unused, ‘dud’ or misfired fireworks.  For this reason, some supermarket retailers have taken the decision to not stock fireworks for sale.

Whilst fireworks do not have an expiry date, they do fall within the explosive and hazardous waste categories and when aged or damaged, must be disposed of responsibly.  Explosive materials such as fireworks and other pyrotechnic waste cannot be disposed of in the bin or at local waste or recycling centres.  For individuals, the London Fire Brigade have prepared a Fire and Safety Guidance Note for Fireworks and Firework Displays, and details responsible disposal guidance for consumers.

On a larger scale, many retailers are left with large volumes of damaged or degrading fireworks that are not suitable for resale.  Advice states that users of fireworks should soak them in water overnight before disposing of them.  For a retailer, this manually laborious and time-consuming task is somewhat unrealistic, and presents its own risks that are best avoided.

Wyndham Resources is a leading sustainability focused waste management and recycling company providing solutions nationally.  Wyndham Resources offers end-to-end compliant services for your hazardous waste including explosive, pyrotechnic and firework waste; the company’s specialists provide consultancy services including training, packaging, and classification, along with managing the safe collection, transportation, and disposal of hazardous waste at a licenced site.

The company’s specialists understand that identifying different types of waste, particularly hazardous and pyrotechnic waste, can be a challenge, and can arrange for a field specialist to visit any site to test and categorise the waste before it is disposed of.

With Wyndham, customers have the assurance that their pyrotechnic waste is being disposed of responsibly, sustainably and to a licenced site.  Additionally, users may benefit from rebate allocations for compliant waste removal.

For more information, contact Wyndham’s team: operations@wyndhamresources.co.uk

Ref:

https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/media/7156/gn_07_lf_format.pdf