Fireworks Disposal - guidance by North Yorkshire Council
Got leftover fireworks?
You can dispose of them free of charge at any of our North Yorkshire Household Waste Recycling Centres.
Fireworks in your household bin go to Allerton Waste Recovery Park and can cause fires resulting in
damage to the plant, and more seriously, injury or death to the people handling your waste.
All used and unused fireworks should be taken to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre where
they will be disposed of safely.
Before transporting fireworks to the HWRC, make sure you take the following precautions.
1. Soak all fireworks (used, unused, duds) in a bucket of water for 24 hours, making sure they are
thoroughly wet through
2. Drain any excess water and dispose of it carefully - do not let it drain into the ground
3. Put the soaked fireworks into a plastic bag and close it to maintain the moisture. Take extra care
with sparklers as they are sharp. Consider double bagging to stop them poking through
If you cannot take your fireworks to your local HWRC, then follow steps one to three above before
putting them into your household bin.
OFFICIAL
Never put fireworks in your kerbside recycling! Fireworks cannot be recycled and overall aren’t great
for the environment.
Fireworks cannot be recycled and overall aren’t great for the environment. They contain various toxic
materials; for example, the colours come from heavy metals like barium, aluminium and strontium.
Perchlorates, that make them go up in the air, are a family of extremely reactive oxygen and chlorine
compounds; the same NASA use to launch rockets into space! Another reason why we need to take care
in how we dispose of them. By doing it properly we prevent these toxic chemicals from getting into our
waterways where they can do a lot of damage.
Find your nearest HWRC listed here
Household waste recycling centres | North Yorkshire Council
More safety guidance is available here at North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service website :
Fireworks and Bonfire Night - North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service
