Safe Fireworks Disposal

Published on July 03, 2023

Photograph of a large pile of spent fireworks in Kansas City, Kansas

Once Fourth of July celebrations come to an end, don’t forget the importance of fire safety and responsible waste management when disposing of fireworks. Help protect yourself, waste management professionals, your community, and the environment by following these safety tips:

  1. Soak Used Fireworks in Water – Before disposing of spent fireworks, soak them in water. Doing this reduces the risk of accidental ignition and ensures that the fireworks are safe to handle and dispose of.
  2. Soak “Duds” in Water – If a firework fails to go off, wait 20 minutes before approaching it and then soak it with water before disposal.
  3. Soak Unused Fireworks in Water – If you dispose of unused fireworks, remember to soak them in water before putting them in the trash.
  4. Bag Your Fireworks – After soaking all your fireworks, place them in bags at the curb or street edge. Bagging your fireworks will help waste management professionals collect your items more quickly and efficiently, speeding up the process for everyone.
  5. Avoid Placing Fireworks Debris near Structures or Vehicles – To prevent potential fire hazards, avoid placing unsoaked fireworks near or inside structures or vehicles.
  6. Prevent Litter – Litter makes everything look worse. In addition to bagging your fireworks, remember to collect all of the smaller debris too. Doing this will help prevent litter from blowing around your neighborhood, and it will help keep trash from clogging things like storm drains.
  7. Avoid Bulky Items – For the next one or two weeks, avoid placing bulky items or large amounts of trash at the curb so drivers can collect items as quickly and efficiently as possible. The longer it takes a driver to collect items at your house, the longer it takes them to get to get to your neighbor.

Remember – Fire Safety and quick waste collection start with you! Use these tips to protect yourself, waste collection professionals, your community, and the environment by taking the necessary precautions. Also, don’t forget that this week's residential trash and recycling are on a holiday schedule. Waste Management will not collect items on July 4, 2023. The collection schedule for this week will be adjusted accordingly, with a one-day delay:

  • If your usual trash and recycling collection day is Tuesday, please place your items at the curb or street edge on Wednesday, July 5
  • If your usual collection day is Wednesday, place your items out on Thursday, July 6
  • For Thursday collections, put your items out on Friday, July 7
  • Friday’s collections will be handled on Saturday, July 8

To learn more about Solid Waste Management, read frequently asked questions, and view helpful tips, visit wycokck.org/Waste. To report a service issue, call 3-1-1.

More Fireworks Safety Tips

It's never the wrong time to learn more about fireworks safety! The Kansas City, Kansas Fire Department has some great tips for discharging fireworks:

  • Purchase fireworks from licensed merchants, never discharge homemade or illegal fireworks.
  • Have a responsible adult in charge and never give fireworks to children.
  • Always read and follow label instructions for the safe discharge of fireworks.
  • Prepare a safe environment outdoors for the shooting off of fireworks by selecting an area clear of other fireworks, combustible materials (dried wood, grass, or structures) and cut the grass low in the areas will fireworks will be discharged.
  • Have water readily available such as garden hose, bucket or portable pump sprayer should a grass fire ignite. Never try to extinguish ‘live’ fireworks that are on fire; back away quickly and call the Fire Department.
  • Never carry fireworks in your pocket.
  • When lighting fireworks, never position any part of your body over the fireworks.
  • Do not shoot/point fireworks at people or animals.
  • Light fireworks one at a time.
  • Never shoot fireworks in or from metal or glass containers.

To learn more, view or download their Fireworks Safety PDF.

Trash & Recycling Tips

Has your trash or recycling pick-up been late? Is it your regular trash day and the cans are still full at the street? Before you report your items as missed, keep the following in mind:

  • Put your trash and recycling out by 7 AM.
  • Don’t report a missed collection to Waste Management.
  • Always report services issues to 3-1-1. Reporting to 3-1-1 allows Public Works’ Solid Waste Team to directly follow up with Waste Management to get your items off the ground.
  • If your trash was not picked up - don't take it back in! Leave your missed items at the curb or street edge until they’re collected. Bringing your missed trash or recycling back into your garage or placing it on the side of your house can result in it being missed again.
  • Sometimes recovering your missed items can take a day or two. Put your trash and recycling in sealed containers to keep it from spilling out and blowing all over your neighborhood. If your items still haven't been recovered after a day or two, report it again!
  • Sometimes trash and recycling are missed because crews are working hard to pick up bulky items. Bulky item collection slows everything down, so avoid putting bulky items out whenever possible. The faster drivers can collect trash and recycling at your neighbor’s house, the faster they can get to yours!
  • Please be patient. We know missed trash and recycling collection is frustrating, and Public Works' Solid Waste team is committed to working with Waste Management on ways to keep these misses from happening.

Trash & Recycling Holiday Schedule

There are six holidays on which residential trash and recycling are not collected:

  • New Year’s Day
  • Memorial Day
  • 4th of July
  • Labor Day
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • Christmas Day

On these holidays, the pickup of everyone’s trash and recycling is moved back one day unless the holiday falls on a weekend. Learn more about weekly trash collection and get answers to some frequently asked questions by checking out the Weekly Trash & Recycling FAQ. To find your trash day, visit maps.wycokck.org/TrashDay.html.

 

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