Disposing of out-of-date flares / time expired pyrotechnics TEPs

[madabouttheboat]

Hi all

I have in my procession around 30 TEPs. These are a mix of ones that I purchased many years ago and some that I have 'acquired' when purchasing used boats. I haven't bought any new flares for years, and some of the ones I have are 20-30 years expired. I have no intention of buying any new ones any time soon, if at all.

How can I get rid of them, as I have been informed that the coastguard no longer takes them. It seems that, unless I am buying replacements, getting rid of old ones sensibly and responsibly is almost impossible.

I could let off the hand-helds, although I am not keen given the age of them, but I also have some rockets and a number of orange smokes which, for obvious reasons, I cannot let off.

Help please.
Thanks

 

[MoodySabre]

Look here https://rnli.org/magazine/magazine-featured-list/2023/march/how-to-dispose-of-flares

You have to change the Layers Environmental Facilities Map - The Green Blue

 

[Sticky Fingers]

I wouldn’t let them off. No way.

My own practice is to pay my local chandler to dispose of them, about £2 each if I recall. Also look out for ‘flare amnesty’ days at local RNLI stations, a generous donation would be good practice but not required.

 

[PabloPicasso]

No one would dare let them off on firework night.. Who'd do such a thing?

No never.

Not at all...

I would not recomend doing that.

You shouldnt set an orange smoke off inland at night when it wouldn't attract the attention of emergency services

Some people have been known to wear gloves, long sleeves, eye wear etc, and have a big bucket of water ready to dispose of the hot spent flares. But you should not do that.

 

[GEM43]

Ocean Safety opens disposal facility at four UK branches for all brands of pyrotechnics - Ocean Safety

 

[[70521]]

No one would dare let them off on firework night.. Who'd do such a thing?

Bastille Day in France is very, very popular.

 

[rotrax]

The Royal Logistics Corps who are stationed at the local barracks took mine for playing with.

They like making bangs!

 

[ylop]

There’s lots of threads on the forum and whilst people claim it’s difficult, it really isn’t if you do a little research, find a chandler who take returns. Pay the chandler money. Life raft service stations may provide a similar service. When people say it’s difficult they really mean it’s expensive. Even then, per flare it’s peanuts.

Some people have been known to wear gloves, long sleeves, eye wear etc, and have a big bucket of water ready to dispose of the hot spent flares. But you should not do that.

Beware that flares will happily burn under water, and if you drop a lit flare a bucket of water will have minimal effect on stopping the flames spreading - a bucket of sand may be better?

 

[PabloPicasso]

Beware that flares will happily burn under water, and if you drop a lit flare a bucket of water will have minimal effect on stopping the flames spreading - a bucket of sand may be better?

Thats why I said "hot spent flares".

 

[PabloPicasso]

Bastille Day in France is very, very popular.

Or Halloween in Ireland.

 

[MoodySabre]

Why would you risk setting off old flares when you can hand them in? It’s not clever.

 

[chrishscorp]

Out of date Orange smokes and Handheld flares we have let off at the bottom of the garden after the Scouts have done the village bonfire and firework display in the field behind us. Parachute rockets I have payed to hand in. I did once fire a parachute rocket under supervision as a 13 year old as I knew an Auxiliary Coastguard

So I have set off everything I carry on the yacht so at least have an idea of how and what to expect just hope to never use.

 

[ylop]

Thats why I said "hot spent flares".

Yes but people drop hot flares and flares can have hot bits flying off… I just though anyone doing this might want to be aware that water might not be sufficient to stop it becoming a proper fire! Obviously anyone doing it would have made sure they are nowhere near anything remotely flammable though.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Some head police stations will take them; Cambridgeshire did for me.

 

[justanothersailboat]

"The Green Blue" site is probably not worth the bother - it underrepresents the number of places that will take flares, but (last I bothered looking) lists some organisations that won't accept flares from individuals, making it look harder than it is to find somewhere.

Some chandleries will take flares for a fee, some only on exchange when you buy new (which is no help if you have unwanted ones). More chandleries will actually take them for a fee than are prepared to admit to it on their websites for some reason. Often the fee is not that much really, sometimes it's concerningly high. So all you can do is ring round and ask. Availability of this is very variable by region - people saying it's easy probably live in the places where it's easy... I hope you live somewhere where you can find a helpful chandlery with a reasonable fee and space left in their storage.

 

[coveman]

I have been informed by Weymouth Harbourmaster that there will be a disposal service operating at West Bay soon, but he couldn't give me a date, or cost.

 

[potentillaCO32]

Hand them out at the next manchester united game?

 

[PabloPicasso]

Obviously anyone doing it would have made sure they are nowhere near anything remotely flammable though.

Yes, avoid setting off flares in summer in southern Europe for starters.

 

[GEM43]

Last Saturday night we watched several Chinese lanterns ascend from a garden party. Absolutely bonkers, it's a fire bomb, even here in Scotland, at the moment. People just won't engage what little brain they possess.

 

[PabloPicasso]

Last Saturday night we watched several Chinese lanterns ascend from a garden party. Absolutely bonkers, it's a fire bomb, even here in Scotland, at the moment. People just won't engage what little brain they possess.

Yes, common sense isnt very common...