Disposing of out of date flares

It is illegal to dump flares at sea or on land, and illegal to let them off in anything other than an emergency.

Ultimately the responsibility for the safe disposal of time expired flares rests with their owner. The eventual disposal of flares must become part of your buying decision and who you buy them from.

For the RYA's guidance on what you may carry to initiate a distress call see the page on Calling for help.

Arranging safe disposal 

If you have out-of-date flares and need to arrange their safe disposal, you should contact the supplier you bought them from to see if they will take them back. Clearly this is not possible if you buy them online and you should bear this in mind. 

A local life raft service agent may also be able to take your out-of-date flares from you as they deal with the disposal of such items on a regular basis.

HM Coastguard no longer accepts flares for disposal.

You can find your nearest registered disposal point using the Environment Facilities Map on The Green Blue website.

It is also worth checking if your local port or marina will accept them; they may have disposal arrangements. 

Leaving (abandoning) expired flares at police and fire stations amounts to illegal dumping and is potentially a criminal offence. The police and fire & rescue service are not ‘refuse collection and disposal agencies’ and they do not have any licensed sites or facilities to dispose of these items.

Time expired flares are hazardous goods not hazardous waste. There is therefore no requirement for councils to provide facilities for disposal. However some may, and you should check with your local authority.

There are specialist hazardous waste disposal companies that will dispose of your unwanted flares, but there will be a cost for such a service. Again, you should keep this in mind if ordering flares online.

You could also check Ramora UK's events for any planned flare amnesties, plus information. 

Transporting out-of-date flares by car

The regulations concerning transportation apply to places of work and places in public use, but they do not apply to individuals, so you can legally put out-of-date flares in your car and drive them to a recognised disposal site.

Other guidance

Anyone finding old flares on the shore should not touch them but dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.