Fireworks – a beautiful pollutant

Fireworks are more than just pretty lights and colours; they are also a source of pollution.

It not only affects the air quality; the debris is spread out for long distances, and it can take a long time to clear it away.

“There is no doubt that fireworks are a source of pollution. Obviously, there is a lot of noise pollution. But the smoke from the fireworks also contains large amounts of harmful metal particles that can linger in the air for hours, depending on wind and rain conditions” says Rakul Mortensen of the Environment Agency.

What can we do?

“We are of course not asking people to stop using fireworks. We simply want to create awareness of this issue.”

Mortensen advises people to make sure they clear up as much of the fireworks debris as they can.

“It would also be good if we try to limit our use of fireworks. The ‘less is more’ adage might make good sense here.”

Bonfires require a permit

Anyone planning to have a big New Year’s bonfire is required to apply for a permit from their local council. Click here for more details (text in Faroese only).

The Environment Agency says that only unprocessed wood and other non-polluting materials such as wooden pallets, wooden boxes and tree branches may be used for bonfires.

Once the fire has died out, it is important to dispose of the bonfire debris properly through the local waste processing system.

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The Environment Agency points out that the purpose of a bonfire must never be to get rid of large amounts of garbage.

If problems arise with a bonfire, the local council is responsible for extinguishing the fire and disposing of the remains.

Read the Faroese versions of this article here, here and here.

More Faroese News in English.