With Bonfire Night approaching, Guernsey Waste is urging everyone to safely dispose of fireworks, to reduce the risk to staff.
It says that spent fireworks should be left to cool for at least half an hour before being soaked in water for another hour. Spent fireworks should then be wrapped in plastic so they don’t dry out. They can then placed in black bags.
Guernsey Waste said members of the public should avoid storing unused fireworks, as they pose a fire risk, and they should be submerged in water for 24 hours, before also being wrapped in plastic and disposed of in general waste.
Sparklers should be similarly soaked and thrown out with general waste, whether they’re used or unused.
Waste Minimisation & Sustainability Officer Douglas Button said: “If they are not disposed of correctly, fireworks pose a serious risk to staff handling waste and can also cause fires in collection vehicles or at the sites they end up at.”
Full details of public and private firework events together with sales, health and safety advice can be found online on the States Website HERE.
Multiple public and private events are planned for across Guernsey over the coming week.
The majority are scheduled to have fireworks set off on 5 November itself however, three public events – organised by St Martin’s football club, Les Camps Methodist Church, and the Guernsey Raiders – are booked for Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 November.
That’s despite the States stating in advance of the season that “as in previous years – bonfires to celebrate the event can only be held between Monday 3 and Friday 7 November”.