The Isle of Wight Council has put together some top tips to help your bonfire bash go safely and sustainably.
Bonfire night is a time for fireworks and fun. But it also brings the challenge of extra food waste due to household parties and the issue of disposing of used fireworks safely.
Natasha Dix, the council’s strategic manager for the environment, said:
“Bonfire night, or fireworks night, is a fun event that generates waste explosives or fireworks that people are often not sure how to dispose of.
“Placing unused or damaged fireworks in the bin is very dangerous and can cause a safety risk to waste collection staff, HWRC staff and treatment plant workers.”
To safely dispose of used fireworks:
- Submerge them in water for at least 48 hours.
- Double wrap them tightly in a bag.
- Put them in your black bin or black gull sack or take to the Household Waste and Recycling Centres at Lynnbottom or Afton Marsh.
- Used fireworks or sparklers should not be placed in your recycle bin or recycle sack. They are not recyclable and contaminate the rest of your recycling.
Unused fireworks
Never place unused or damaged fireworks in your black bin or sack. These are dangerous and present a fire and safety risk to refuse workers and plant workers.
Unopened fireworks still in their packaging can be taken back to where they were bought. Do not take unused fireworks to the police, fire service or coastguard as they will not be accepted.
Top tips to make your party go with a safe and sustainable bang:
- Visit an organised display. It’s safer and just as fun.
- Consider using recyclable cups, paper plates and wooden cutlery that can be reused/recycled easily instead of single use plastic.
- Bottles and cans: Wash and squash any plastic or cans to make space in your recycling bin/sack to recycle more.
- Food waste: Use your food caddie to dispose of any leftover food waste or visit Love Food Hate Waste’s website for simple recipes to use up your leftovers. You could make a sausage, onion and potato tray bake.
- Wrap up warm and be safe.
- Any leftover bonfire party food can be popped into your food waste caddie.
If you don’t have either an indoor or outdoor food caddy, you can order one at www.iwight.com/waste or by calling 01983 823777.
Better top tip
Ban firework sales to the public!
“Bonfire night is a time for fireworks and fun”
Fun ???
.. try explaining that to all the pets that are scared sh1tless for weeks leading up to ‘Bonfure Night’ 🙁
So is this advice for the people who are using their energy handouts to spend on fireworks instead.
see if people can afford fireworks then they should give their payment back so that others who need it can get it , instead of sending it upwards for a quick wiz and bang frightening animal out of their wits ….i know our dog will be literally going barking mad
Hey IoW Council…
Instead of some irrelevant ‘sound bite’, why not do what you are supposed to do and actually work for the greater good of Island Residents (the people who pay Council Tax) instead of some trendy ‘oh this is how you should behave’ RUBBISH!
Anyone up for digging a tunnel under county hall?, best use for fire works;)
It would be far better to ban firework sales to the general public so that organised and better displays could be held. If they are licensed then we would all know when we had to try to settle our animals.
Why celebrate the death of someone who, looking at current situation should have been awarded a medal for trying to give the HoP a kick up the backside. Time obviously doesn’t help improve situations. Fireworks do not help people, the only people who benefit from them are those who sell them. The do more harm and damage to the planet and it’s occupants than people realise.