Flare Disposal Belgium & France

[Wiltshire]

Can anybody offer information on disposal of flares in Belgium or France? I will be heading from Belgium along the Normandy coast and hopefully to Cherbourg and the Channel Isles (if the COVID rules allow me in to the latter). I have some old flares on board which I have replaced but having only been based on the "other side" of the Channel for three years haven't had to dispose of flares here. Is it a case of going to the Chandlery and handing over more money? Living in Luxembourg there isn't much call for flare disposal and given the passion for forms here I am not sure I have the will to try the local waste disposal centre. Any information would be very welcome. Thank you.

 

[westhinder]

So far the chandlers have taken them off my hands when I bought a new set.
I am not sure of the legalities, but I would be surprised If manufacturers did not have an obligation to take back their products once they are past their use by date.

 

[westernman]

So far the chandlers have taken them off my hands when I bought a new set.
I am not sure of the legalities, but I would be surprised If manufacturers did not have an obligation to take back their products once they are past their use by date.

The marina where I used to be in France had a big crate where you could dump them. (Totally unguarded, and with enough explosives there to blow up something substantial... )

 

[Sea Devil]

Most French chandlers will take them but sometimes for a small fee

 

[Clancy Moped]

We used to give ours to the pompiers in France.

 

[Koeketiene]

Last year, I handed an only just out of date pack in at the local SNSM (French equivalent of the RNLI).
They said they sometimes used them for training purposes.

 

[Sybarite]

I wanted to do it legally and tried 8 different locations before finding that the things do not float.