Disposing of unwanted distress flares
Details on how to dispose of your unwanted distress flares.
Changes to HM Coastguard’s flare disposal service
HM Coastguard has stopped disposing of expired or redundant flares handed in by private individuals.
For more information see MIN 687 Changes to how individuals can dispose of marine flares.
How to dispose of distress flares
You now need to use a third-party service to dispose of flares. You may be breaking the law if you do not make sure flares are disposed of safely, to prevent any risk to other people or property.
Third-party disposal services
The Green Blue’s environmental facilities map from British Marine and the Royal Yachting Association provides contact details of disposal service providers. You can contact the providers directly to discuss your disposal needs.
If there’s not a disposal service near you, you may be able to dispose of your marine distress flares at:
- the place where you bought them
- local marinas
- life raft services
- local authorities
- waste disposal businesses, some may already offer a disposal service
Other service providers offer disposal events across the country, usually at busy harbours or marinas.
The Department for Transport and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency cannot endorse any of the providers of this service.
If you have a business that could offer a flare disposal service or would like to sign up to the Green Blue facilities map, see our guidance on offering a flare disposal service.
Flares and the law
Flares are explosive devices. Anyone possessing a flare is responsible for it until it has been used or properly disposed of.
You should never:
- fire a flare, at sea or on land, except in an emergency to raise the alarm or alert others
- use flares that are expired or damaged
- dispose, discard or dump flares anywhere, whether at sea or on land
- ignore the potential health and safety effects to others or on the coastal and marine environment
- dispose of flares in household or garden waste or at recycling centres
- abandon flares
- receive or store any flares for another person, unless you can do so safely and comply with licensing requirements
Updates to this page
Published 2 February 2018Last updated 1 January 2023 + show all updates
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Updating content to inform that HM Coastguard no longer accepts unwanted distress flares for disposal. Also adding links to information on where people can dispose of flares safely and legally.
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Information added on changes to the HM Coastguard's flare disposal service. Changes come into effect from 31 December 2022.
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RNLI telephone number updated.
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Updated contact telephone number for RNLI Poole.
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First published.