The unfortunate reality is that, once you are finished setting off the fireworks, not only are the spent fireworks themselves unrecyclable, so are virtually all the boxes they were packed in.
Fireworks boxes typically have a layer of plastic laminated to the outside to give them a high-gloss finish. That combination of plastic and paper bonded together makes them unrecyclable in metro-KC and many other parts of the US so high-gloss fireworks boxes need to go into the trash.
Even when the boxes do not have a high-gloss finish, they are typically made from low-quality paperboard that has minimal value for recycling. It is also likely to be contaminated with toxic chemical residues from the fireworks.
If you do choose to recycle flat-finish fireworks boxes, be sure to remove any plastic windows and discard the windows in your trash, then fold the boxes flat before putting them into your recycling bin. Folding them flat not only saves space but facilitates processing at the Material Recovery Facility (MRF). Flat materials are separated from 3-D materials early in the MRF process under the assumption that all flats should be paper of one kind or another.
This is why it’s essential to not crush the plastic bottles, jars, jugs, tubs and to-go cups that are being recycled.
You can download the new versions of the “Recycle Better” and “Recycle Plastics Better” fliers that apply to curbside and other mixed recycling bins as well as drop-off recycling centers at Recyclespot.org.
