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Wednesday, 3 October 2023

Travel and transport

Travel and transport

What to do with out-of-date or damaged flares

Pyrotechnic flares are used to signal distress at sea and help pinpoint a boat's location. You need to check flares regularly to make sure they are in good condition and dispose of out-of-date or damaged flares safely. Find out how to arrange safe disposal of your flares.

The rules for safe disposal of flares

Picture of a damaged flare

Out-of-date or damaged flares can be extremely dangerous. Flares can kill so it's important to bring them ashore as soon as possible to be disposed of safely.

It's against the law to use flares in a non-emergency situation or dump them at sea. You also must not discard them irresponsibly - never:

  • put flares in carrier bags or drop them in general household rubbish or public litter bins
  • leave flares on the doorstep of coastguard rescue equipment stores, sector bases or Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat houses
  • dump them anywhere where members of the public could come across them

How to arrange disposal of flares

If you have out-of-date or damaged flares, first contact the place where you originally bought the flares. They may operate a 'take back' scheme. If not, contact your local Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC), who will advise you on how the flares can be disposed of safely. Contact numbers for these centres are listed in the table below.

You'll need to tell the MRCC:

  • how many flares you have to dispose of
  • how old they are
  • what condition they are in

The MRCC will then help you make arrangements to take your flares to a licensed disposal site.

The MRCC will tell you where your nearest disposal site is and its opening times. You'll have to deliver the flares to the disposal site at an agreed time. It's likely that you may have to travel a long distance, depending on the facilities available in your area.

If you go to one of these sites without an appointment, you will be turned away. The disposal sites can only accept out-of-date or damaged flares from members of the public. If you are a commercial organisation, you'll need to make your own arrangements.

If a flare is so damaged that it is in a dangerous condition, the MRCC will arrange for its immediate disposal. This is at their discretion.

Contact details for centres that will receive your out-of-date or damaged flares
Centre Phone number
MRCC Aberdeen (licensed site: Buchan Sector Base) 01224 592 334
MRCC Aberdeen (licensed site: Inverness Sector Base) 01224 592 334
MRCC Belfast 02891 463 933
MRCC Brixham 01803 882 704
MRCC Clyde (licensed site: Girvan Coastguard Rescue Service) 01475 729 988
MRCC Dover 01304 210 008
MRCC Falmouth 01326 317 575
MRCC Forth (licensed site: St Andrews Sector Base) 01333 450 666
MRCC Holyhead 01407 762 051
MRCC Humber 01262 672 317
MRCC Liverpool 01519 313 341
MRCC Milford Haven 01646 690 909
MRCC Shetland 01595 692 976
MRCC Solent 02392 552 100
MRCC Stornoway 01851 702 013
MRCC Thames 01255 675 518
MRCC Yarmouth (licensed site: North Norfolk Sector Base) 01493 851 338
RNLI Headquarters Poole 01202 336 336


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