If your driveway looked like a miniature war zone after the 4th of July, you aren’t alone.
Like a lot of parents in Minnesota, I took my kids to the big tent outside of our neighborhood grocery store to stock up on fountains, sparklers, and smoke bombs. And, like a lot of parents in Minnesota, I was left to clean up the mess.
I thought of an article a coworker wrote about things that are illegal to throw away in Minnesota (see the list below) as I was sweeping up the fireworks mess and decided to check the rules before dumping everything into my bin.
RELATED: STIFF PENALTY FOR PEOPLE SMUGGLING FIREWORKS INTO MN
Can you legally throw fireworks in the trash here in Minnesota?
Before you grab the broom and shovel everything straight into the garbage bin, you need to know the safest way to discard used and unused fireworks.
The short answer is yes, you can legally dispose of fireworks in your regular household trash, but local officials warn that you cannot just toss them into your bin.
To keep your family and our local sanitation workers safe, Minnesota officials recommend using the "Soak and Seal" method.
Submerge all used fireworks in a large bucket of water. Let them soak for a full 24 hours to ensure the core is completely cold and saturated. Then place them into a sealable plastic bag (like a ziplock or a tied grocery bag) to lock the moisture in and keep them from drying back out.
Once they are wet and sealed, it is perfectly legal and safe to throw them into your regular trash bin. You can dispose of unused fireworks using the exact same method, just make sure to pull the wick off before you soak them.
20 Items You Are Not Allowed to Throw In the Trash In Minnesota
Gallery Credit: MinnesotaNow.net
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