Easy Disposal of Marine Flares

[oldmanofthehills]

Having missed the final deadline for leaving at Coastguard and findind no one to take them near me, I actually googled "disposal of incendaries".

Local gov web site said recycling centre took them. Local gov help line knew no details so I checked with recycling operator, and they said no bother, just bring them in. Rocked up dumped broken furniture and a man took my 16 flares to place in the locked big red bin.

Logical, as if Force 4, Survivitech (or Coastguard in days go by) and a n other take them, they dont actually have disposal facilities. So they must go somewhere to be legally disposed off. Yes, its the council!

As ever RYA info could be better and avoid panicking this ageing sailor

 

[[2574]]

Just checked my local recycling centre here in Devon - specifically not accepted for disposal.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Just checked my local recycling centre here in Devon - specifically not accepted for disposal.

Perhaps its only places with ports such as Bristol then? However Bristol always punches above its weight

 

[penberth3]

Having missed the final deadline for leaving at Coastguard and findind no one to take them near me, I actually googled "disposal of incendaries".

Local gov web site said recycling centre took them. Local gov help line knew no details so I checked with recycling operator, and they said no bother, just bring them in. Rocked up dumped broken furniture and a man took my 16 flares to place in the locked big red bin.

Logical, as if Force 4, Survivitech (or Coastguard in days go by) and a n other take them, they dont actually have disposal facilities. So they must go somewhere to be legally disposed off. Yes, its the council!

As ever RYA info could be better and avoid panicking this ageing sailor

You've "disposed of" your flares, but it's unlikely the Council will have their own facilities for final disposal/destruction. They must have entered into the new "scheme"?

 

[wombat88]

Force 4 will take your old ones in for free if you buy new...and alternatively they used to accept them but charge.

The RNLI seem to do a show for a day every year at the local marina and accept them. Worth checking this out.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Force 4 will take your old ones in for free if you buy new...and alternatively they used to accept them but charge.

The RNLI seem to do a show for a day every year at the local marina and accept them. Worth checking this out.

Yes F4 will take them at fee but I had perhaps 5 batches of five year duration 4 flares, and no F4 anymore near Bristol so even buying new flares means a £45 carriage fee from say Portsmouth about 80 miles away. Marinas on the English side of Bristol Channel are effectively non-existent. No safe water harbours for 165 miles between Lydney and St Ives, so Marinas based RNLI shows not prominent, and Portishead life boat was private until recently.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

You've "disposed of" your flares, but it's unlikely the Council will have their own facilities for final disposal/destruction. They must have entered into the new "scheme"?

I dont know about that. There is a legal obligation to deal with hazardous waste and quite frankly it doesnt need the army bomb squad to dispose of giant sparklers

 

[Porthandbuoy]

Ocean Safety Ltd (several locations around the UK) will take old flares off your hands for £2 each.

 

[Stemar]

Hampshire recycling centres won't touch them, so it's nothing to do with the proximity of a major port.

It's one reason why I carry an LED "flare" instead.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Some main police stations will take them.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Ocean Safety Ltd (several locations around the UK) will take old flares off your hands for £2 each.

No Ocean Safety within 2 hours drive of me - say £64 roundtrip for my van - plus 16*2=16. So a mere £80 and a whole day wasted. Its all fine for those in Lake Solent but those who live or keep boats elsewhere can be grateful that some local public authorities provide free facilities.

My next problem of course is that Force 4 charge £45 to ship a replacement Offshore Flare pack and have none in stock on any route I might take. Still 40 or 50 miles offshore I want rockets not LEDs so I guess I must just cough up

 

[AngusMcDoon]

No Ocean Safety within 2 hours drive of me - say £64 roundtrip for my van - plus 16*2=16. So a mere £80 and a whole day wasted. Its all fine for those in Lake Solent but those who live or keep boats elsewhere can be grateful that some local public authorities provide free facilities.

My next problem of course is that Force 4 charge £45 to ship a replacement Offshore Flare pack and have none in stock on any route I might take. Still 40 or 50 miles offshore I want rockets not LEDs so I guess I must just cough up

It's worth a go at your nearest main police station before going into full on moan mode. Don't ring them and ask, just turn up.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

It's worth a go at your nearest main police station before going into full on moan mode. Don't ring them and ask, just turn up.

I have already stated that Bristol Council happily took them, and expressed my continual pleasure of living in such a district. A council refuse site is designed to handle low level hazardous waste in some bulk, a police station is not.

But flares are mandatory for craft over a certain length and highly advisable for us smaller boat owners that go beyond waving distance from land. Disposal needs special facilities (though you can legally let of white flares as not an alarm) and the UK Gov has washed its hands of the matter leaving us to find or not find suitable handling places

 

[AngusMcDoon]

...a police station is not.

Main police stations do have the facility for storing this sort of stuff. It's where they put confiscated ammunition until it's disposed of.

 

[Graham376]

Had the life raft repacked in Gib yesterday, charged £30 for disposal of old flares

 

[Resolution]

They seem to have closed down our local police stations, along with the bank branches. Is there some correlation here?

 

[Alan S]

Just say to the desk sergeant
"I was walking on the beach and found these, wouldn't want them to fall into the hands of Rangers supporters"

 

[KeithMD]

They seem to have closed down our local police stations, along with the bank branches. Is there some correlation here?

Can we take the flares into bank branches instead?
Still wearing a Covid mask of course.

 

[burgundyben]

I have 3 to get rid of.

The Isle of Wight council has a waste page on its website that says to get in touch about hazardous waste and provides an email address to do so.

The email address bounces.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

They seem to have closed down our local police stations...

It's not the small ones that take them (if they do), it's the main ones that are manned 24 hours in towns and cities. It's only these bigger stations that have the facility.