CPSC MARINE FLARE STEWARDSHIP
CPSC is leading several marine flare recovery projects and policy development in California that expand circular systems with reduced cost-burden on local government and rate payers through producer engagement and green design.
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Alameda County, Delta Diablo, Del Norte County, West Contra Costa County and the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC) have partnered with CalRecycle, California State Parks and Coastal Commission’s California Boating Clean and Green Program, and BoatUS Foundation to collect expired marine flares and educate residents about marine flare management safety, including the advantages of reusable distress signals, to protect Bay Area communities and local environment.
For more information, email: info@calpsc.org
WHAT ARE MARINE FLARES?
Marine Flare are visual distress signals used to summed help on boats in the event of danger and are required by the U.S. Coast Guard for boats operating on costal waster, the Great Lakes, territorial seas, and waters directly connected to them. The U.S. Coast Guard requires that boats carry 3 visual distress signals at all times approved for both day and night use, or three for day use and three for night use. The marine flare must not be expired and stowed accessibly.
THE PROBLEM
Single-use pyrotechnic marine flare expire and must be replaced approximately every 42 months. However, due their classification as hazardous waste, proper disposal of these pyrotechnic marine flare is restricted and extremely expensive. The difficulty of disposal of these single-use flares causes many boaters to simply store them, dispose of them in their regular garbage, or even throw them into our lakes, rivers and oceans. Pyrotechnic marine flares contain a multitude of toxic chemicals, including perchlorate, that can leech into our drinking water supply and damage our environment when improperly disposed of. Currently in many counties in California, there is no safe disposal options for single-use pyrotechnic marine flares. View the webinar and graphics below to learn about how to properly dispose of your single-use marine flares and their alternatives.
FREE MARINE FLARE COLLECTION OPPORTUNITIES IN CALIFORNIA
2023 Collection Events
Collection events are planned for November 2023 in the following areas:
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West Contra Costa County
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East Contra Costa County
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Del Norte
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Alameda County
Stay tuned for more details!
Use the 1-800-CLEANUP number or Earth911 website (http://search.earth911.com/) if your jurisdiction does not maintain its own 24- hour hotline.
Del Norte County
Free Marine Flare Collection and Education on Reusable Alternatives.
If you are a resident of Del Norte County, get a discount on a reusable marine flare at the link below.
City of Oceanside
Free Marine Flare Education on Reusable Alternatives.
If you are a resident of the City of Oceanside, get a discount on a reusable marine flare at the link below.
East Contra Costa County
Free Marine Flare Collection and Education on Reusable Alternatives.
If you are a resident of East Contra Costa County, get a discount on a reusable marine flare at the link below.
San Mateo County
Free Marine Flare Education on Reusable Alternatives.
If you are a resident of San Mateo County, get a discount on a reusable marine flare at the link below.
West Contra Costa County
Free Marine Flare Collection and Education on Reusable Alternatives.
If you are a resident of West Contra Costa County, get a discount on a reusable marine flare at the link below.
INFORMATION ON MARINE FLARE PILOT PROJECTS IN CALIFORNIA
Alameda County, Delta Diablo, Del Norte County, West Contra Costa, and the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC) have partnered with CalRecycle, California State Parks and Coastal Commission’s California Boating Clean and Green Program, and BoatUS Foundation to collect expired marine flares and educate residents about marine flare management safety, including the advantages of reusable distress signals, to protect communities and local environment.
Recreational boaters in grant areas can take expired marine flares to the collection events at their local Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facility during special events. Only expired marine flares from residential boaters will be accepted, not from commercial craft or an organization and no other HHW materials will be accepted during the special event.
The coalition behind these events urge residents to stay alert for future temporary collection events and consider switching to reusable eVDSD. To learn more about eVDSDs from the vendor, watch the Sirius Signal eVDSD demonstration video at https://bit.ly/eVDSDdemo.
Check out the videos below to learn more about the hazards of pyrotechnic marine flares and the benefits of switching to reusable eVDSDs.
MARINE FLARE PRESS AND MEDIA
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Webinar: Safe Marine Flare Management and Disposal - CPSC, 9/29/2022
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Webinar: Safe Marine Flare Management and Disposal - CPSC, 4/26/2022
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Alameda County, CA and Delta Diablo Partner with State on Expired Marine Flare Collection Event - Waste Advantage, 10/28/2021