To address safe disposal of pyrotechnic marine flares and promote reusable alternatives, the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC) is launching Make the Electronic Marine Flare Switch Campaign, in collaboration with the California State Parks and Coastal Commission’s California Boating Clean & Green Program, as well as CalRecycle. CPSC is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to education and advocacy for the proper management of hard-to-recycle products, like pyrotechnic marine flares which are a hazardous waste and an explosive.
CPSC has designed and administered several of the nation’s largest campaigns on safe disposal and reusable alternatives, such as Refuel Your Fun for 1 lb. propane cylinders. This marine flare collaborative campaign works directly with boaters, state/local agencies, and other stakeholders, including Harbors Masters, the Coast Guard, and Boating Safety Officers, to address the problems at hand.
Since 2019, CPSC has completed numerous marine flare pilot projects, most funded by CalRecycle. The pilot projects remove single-use pyrotechnic marine flares from communities by hosting collection events and promoting reusable alternatives as an easy way to reduce waste in the future. In 2023, the Campaign worked with San Mateo County, special district Delta Diablo, the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority, the West Contra Costa County Integrated Waste Management Authority (RecycleMore), City of Oceanside, the Port of Los Angeles, Marin County, and Alameda County to host education and collection events across California. The Campaign collected over 5000 single-use pyrotechnic marine flares and distributed over 400 electronic marine flares to boaters across California, and that number continues to climb.
Boaters love their new electronic marine flares, waste authorities have fewer explosives ending up in the waste stream, and fire and water agencies can rest assured with lower risks associated with this product type. It became clear that switching to reusables was the best option for all stakeholders. The time is now to publicly announce CPSC’s newest campaign focused on reusable electronic marine flares.