Dispose of correctly

What to do with the remains of New Year’s Eve fireworks

Huge amounts of waste remain after the turn of the year

(Bild: TEAM FOTOKERSCHI / WERNER KERSCHBAUMMAYR)

Do firework remnants belong in the household waste or in the waste collection center and what to do with firecrackers that have not been fired? The "OÖ-Krone" newspaper spoke to experts and has the answers.

While fireworks enthusiasts are already looking forward to the next New Year, noise-sensitive people can breathe a sigh of relief: The big bang on New Year's Eve is over, leaving behind tons of waste. But what to do with the empty battery or the burnt-out rocket?

Cardboard is contaminated
"Burnt fireworks should be disposed of with the residual waste," says Thomas Anderer, Managing Director of the Upper Austrian Provincial Waste Association. As cardboard parts are contaminated with clay or fine dust, they cannot be disposed of in the paper garbage can - even the remains of plastic firecrackers cannot be recycled.

Not in the ASZ
Only wooden sticks from rockets may be disposed of in the waste wood. If you want to take your rocket waste to the waste collection center (ASZ), you will not meet with much approval. "Recycling is not possible here and it doesn't fall under problematic materials, which is why the ASZs don't accept rocket waste," says Anderer.

Fireworks have an unlimited shelf life
Unlaunched pyrotechnics must also be disposed of in residual waste. "It is important that the fireworks are defused beforehand. Simply soak them in water for several hours," says Anderer. In principle, fireworks can be stored indefinitely if stored correctly, says Ulf Busse, industry spokesman for the pyrotechnics trade in the Upper Austrian Chamber of Commerce. "It is important that they are stored in an absolutely dry place," says Busse.