Boat flares should not be used after their expiry date. They represent a great danger for their users. However, it is forbidden to dispose of them with conventional waste. So how do you dispose of flares?
Never use expired flares
Like everything else, boat flares have a limited lifespan. Once they have expired, they should no longer be used. Indeed, handling expired flares can be risky. They have an envelope that breaks very easily, which means that they can no longer be fired correctly. In this case, the risk of burning is extremely high.
Therefore, for your safety, it is important to respect the validity limit of the product. Moreover, the law forbids any storage of pyrotechnics that have reached their expiry date. Indeed, keeping expired flares is subject to a fine.
Expired boat flares should not be used either, as their chemical reagent can delay ignition, which can cause serious problems. This is why it is always wise to check the expiry dates on flares before setting out on a voyage.
Finding a collection point
As you can see, it is important to dispose of your flares once they have expired. Fortunately, the Aper Pyro brand has, for some years now, set up a system that will collect these products. The recovered boat flares will then be treated so that they no longer represent a danger. Every year, this company opts for destocking operations which consist in recovering used distress flares.
The reason why it is necessary to go to a collection point is that specialist managers are responsible for destroying pyrotechnic products under the right conditions. Moreover, the disposal of these products must follow the rules imposed by the European standards in force. Once collected, the boat flares will be sent to one of the two processing plants in France.
Going to chandlery shops
Apart from the dates when out-of-date distress flares are taken out of stock, you can go to a chandlery when buying new products. This way you can be sure that your products are in safe hands and no longer pose a real danger. Known as “1 for 1”, this system was introduced in 2015 by Aper-Apyro. In most cases, this is funded by the manufacturers who specialise in collecting and processing this product.
For your safety, you should keep your flares in their original packaging. Before sending them to a chandlery, you should always protect the ignition system with a suitable cap.
