How To Reduce Your Waste This Bonfire Night 

Bonfires, sparklers, cosy jumpers and scarves, and a chance to celebrate. What’s not to love about Bonfire Night? Definitely not the impact it has on the environment. Air pollution and excess waste are two of the big problems the cause of the celebration. Don’t want to be part of the problem? Here’s how to reduce your waste this bonfire night.

Head to a Public Bonfire Night Fireworks Display

If you really want to reduce your waste this bonfire night, head to a public display. While a large public bonfire and fireworks display still creates emissions and waste, it’s all at one event. This means fewer emissions and waste than if every household has its own fireworks party. Also, the organisers have probably got the waste and recycling side of things covered with recycling and litter bins on site. One less thing to worry about so you and the family can focus on the fun.

Don’t Celebrate Bonfire Night with Sky Lanterns

Sky lanterns, or Chinese lanterns, might look pretty, but they are bad for the environment and for wildlife. According to the RSPCA, 200,000 sky lanterns are sold in the UK each year. Many of these are a part of outdoor celebrations like bonfire parties.

While they look great as they go up, when they come down, they aren’t so great. As they fall onto land or into the sea, they can harm wildlife. Animals can ingest the wireframe or get injured by it. They can also get trapped in the lanterns and suffer a painful death. The lanterns that don’t come into contact with animals become litter that takes decades to degrade. Even biodegradable sky lanterns can take a long time to decompose. Do the planet and wildlife a favour and use outdoor lights or static lanterns at your bonfire celebration.

Don’t Burn Any Old Things on the Bonfire

You might think having a bonfire is a great way to reduce your waste this bonfire night. However, a bonfire is not the place to burn your household rubbish. People often put mattresses, furniture, and even household waste on a fire, which is a definite no-no.

Burning items made from plastic or rubber releases toxins into the air, causing pollution and health problems. The only things you should put on your fire are paper, cardboard, leaves, and untreated wood. Anything you put on the fire should be dry as damp materials will create more smoke.

Our advice? Arrange collections for items like mattresses and dispose of other waste properly. Got so much household waste that you’re thinking about burning it? Maybe it’s time to look at your recycling habits!

Rethink Your Food and Drink

Having a bonfire party at home? One way you can keep things eco-friendly is to think carefully about your food and drink. Ditch the single-use cutlery, cups, and plates, and opt for reusable ones. You can ask friends and family to lend you any items you’re short of. Maybe you can even rope them into helping with the dishes at the end of the night!

Another way to reduce waste this bonfire night is to ask guests to make or bring some food and drink. This will help you save money and it really cuts down on waste. The great thing about bonfire night food is that it can be so simple. Think jacket potatoes with delicious fillings or homemade pizzas to warm everyone up. Box up any leftovers for people to take home to cut down on food waste.

We hope we’ve inspired you to think about how you can reduce your waste this bonfire night. You can still have fun and protect the planet, it just takes a little forward planning. For more interesting articles on sustainability and reducing waste, check out the rest of our blog.