New Year’s Eve may still feel far away, but the first bangs can already be heard. That is why the NU.nl editors wondered: are there also sustainable fireworks? “I’ve never heard of it anyway.”
In brief
- Fireworks cause air pollution and health problems through the emission of particulate matter and heavy metals.
- Although there are providers of “sustainable” fireworks, there is criticism of this term, because fireworks can never be completely sustainable.
- Experts suggest that the most sustainable solution is to set off fewer or no fireworks and to quickly clean up the waste if fireworks do occur.
Summary made using AI
“There are a few problems with fireworks,” explains Paulien van der Geest from the Milieu Centraal knowledge center. That starts with gunpowder. This is the main fuel for fireworks and creates the bang.
The combustion of gunpowder produces a lot of particulate matter. This leads to air pollution and is Bad for the health. The health of humans and animals also falls under the umbrella term ‘sustainability’, as CBS describes it. Sustainability is about more than the climate.
The dust particles are often so small that they can enter deep into the lungs through the nose and mouth. People with lung problems such as asthma can especially suffer from this. That is why the RIVM warns if there is no wind and no rain on New Year’s Eve, because then particulate matter will linger longer.
In addition, fireworks cause stress in animals and people who are afraid of fireworks. Some animals are still upset in the days after New Year’s Eve. “I don’t know any pet that gets very happy from fireworks.”
Lots of particulate matter in the air on New Year’s Eve
“On New Year’s Eve – shortly after midnight – the concentrations of particulate matter skyrocket,” writes Environment Central. There was no fireworks ban in the first hour of 2020. At that time, according to the knowledge center, the concentration of particulate matter in cities was 33 times higher than normal. “In The Hague, the amount of particulate matter was almost a hundred times as high.” In the following years, a fireworks ban resulted in smaller amounts of particulate matter in the air.
Decorative fireworks are the real culprit
Yet decorative fireworks are the real culprit. This contains not only gunpowder, but also heavy metals such as barium, antimony and strontium. “These are harmful to the health of humans and animals.” These metals return to the soil and water.
“The particulate matter will blow away again, but those heavy metals will remain in nature.” Van der Geest is particularly impressed by copper, which is also often found in decorative fireworks. “18 percent of the copper found in surface water comes from fireworks.”
Sustainable fireworks are not really sustainable
Due to the components and volatile nature of fireworks, a sustainable variant is not really an obvious choice. “Let us first assume that fireworks will never become 100 percent sustainable,” is on an online shop for fireworks.
That also explains why a sustainable living expert has never heard of it. Van der Geest was not familiar with the phenomenon before the phone call from NU.nl.
“When lighting fireworks, particulate matter will always be released,” Joost van Lingen confirms in writing. He conducts research at TNO into more environmentally friendly fireworks.
What is particularly noticeable among suppliers of sustainable fireworks is that the heavy metals have been replaced. For example, Dream Fireworks says it uses lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium and cesium. This would make fireworks less harmful to the environment.
“Sustainable fireworks use different ingredients and are therefore cleaner, but also significantly more expensive and cannot be stored indefinitely,” says Van Lingen.
Van der Geest is critical when it comes to the use of lithium, for example. Batteries are also made from it. That raw material is therefore very important to become less dependent on fossil fuels.
Foto: Getty Images
‘The question is always what you use a raw material for’
“With scarce raw materials, the question is always what you will use it for.” She points out that we only use such a raw material in fireworks for a very short time. You light it and usually the color explosion is over after a maximum of a minute. Recycling the metals is difficult, because they end up everywhere.
“You can also ensure that less smoke is created, so that the color effects are more visible,” Van Lingen said in 2022. NEMO Kennislink. “Less smoke also means less particulate matter.”
According to Van Lingen, this type of fireworks is already used in amusement parks such as Disneyland. It is not for sale to consumers, he said last year. Van Lingen does not expect this to change, he says now.
Some people emphasize the packaging of the fireworks, such as recycling the cardboard box. Van der Geest is not impressed by this: its impact is very small compared to gunpowder and metals. “I think you have to be very critical about what is classified under the heading of sustainability,” she emphasizes. “There are virtually no alternatives.”
“The sooner you clean it up, the better,” says Paulien van der Geest about fireworks waste. Photo: Getty Images
Tips for a more sustainable New Year’s Eve
“The most sustainable fireworks are unlit fireworks,” says Van der Geest. Van Lingen confirms this: “Do you want to become more sustainable? Then the simplest thing you can do is: set off fewer fireworks or no fireworks at all.”
But Van der Geest doesn’t want to spoil the fun completely. That’s why she has some tips for people who want to start the new year a little more sustainably, but still want to light fireworks.
The first tip: “Do not buy illegal fireworks.” They often contain the most harmful metals, such as cadmium – if it is already clear what is in them.
She also recommends purchasing fireworks together with the neighborhood and lighting them in one place. That is also safer. Afterwards, the waste is also much easier to clean up. “The sooner you clean it up, the better.”
“Put a garbage bag at the front door immediately,” Van der Geest recommends. If you throw away the waste quickly, the harmful substances cannot end up in the soil and water or in the belly of your four-legged friend. In some places, clean-up actions are organized on January 1. Van der Geest also thinks these are good initiatives.
The tips at a glance
- Do not buy illegal fireworks.
- Work together with the neighbors: buy together and buy together.
- Clean up the waste as quickly as possible.
2023-12-14 20:14:48
#Years #Eve #coming #sustainable #fireworks #years #eve
