Expired Marine Flare Collection Events
October 2026
NorCal Event Flyer
SoCal Event Flyer
Alameda County, West Contra Costa County, Marin County, San Mateo County, Santa Cruz County, the Port of San Diego, Orange County and Ventura County, have partnered with CalRecycle, the California Product Stewardship Council, California State Parks and Coastal Commission’s California Boating Clean and Green Program to collect expired marine flares and educate residents about marine flare management safety, including the advantages of reusable distress signals, to protect California communities and the local environment.
Residents and boaters berthing their boats in Alameda County, West Contra Costa County, Marin County, San Mateo County, Santa Cruz County, Orange County, Ventura County, and San Diego County can take their expired marine flares to their county’s designated marine flare collection events in the fall. Only expired marine flares from residents and boaters berthing their boats in the covered areas will be accepted. No marine flares from commercial craft or an organization nor other forms of household hazardous waste (HHW) will be accepted during the special events. Proof of residence or eligibility is required (i.e., license, registration, or slip fee).
Please check additional detailed information and requirements for each event below. **Flare drop-off during event hours only**
Northern California
Alameda County
Sunday, October 25, 2026, 9 AM to 1 PM
By Appointment ONLY Sign-up for an appointment: www.stopwaste.org/marineflares
Marin County
Sunday, October 25, 2026, from 8 AM to 12 PM
Clipper Yacht Harbor, 310 Harbor Dr, Sausalito, CA 94965
San Mateo County
Sunday, October 25, 2026, from 10 AM to 2 PM
Pillar Point Harbor, 1 Johnson Pier, Half Moon Bay, CA
By appointment ONLY: Call (650) 372-6200 (M-F); or visit smchealth.org/hhw
This event is open ONLY to San Mateo County residents, boaters
who berth in the County, and County commercial boaters who generate less than 100 kg of hazardous waste/month. To participate, you must provide proof of residency, boat berth, or business address in San Mateo County.
Santa Cruz County
Sunday, October, 25 2026, from 11 AM to 3 PM
Santa Cruz Harbor Maintenance Yard, 425 Brommer St, Santa Cruz, CA
West Contra Costa County
Oct 14 - Oct. 24, 2026, Wed - Sat 9 AM - 4 PM
101 Pittsburg Avenue, Richmond, CA 94801.
This event is only for West Contra Costa residents or boaters in the following cities: El Cerrito, Hercules, Pinole, Richmond, and San Pablo, and unincorporated Contra Costa County (i.e., El Sobrante, North Richmond, Tara Hills, Rollingwood, East Richmond Heights, Bayview, Montalvin Manor). Must prove WCC residency to participate.
The United States Coast Guard (USGC) requires boaters to carry several unexpired visual distress signals on board, day and night. Pyrotechnic marine flares are a common type of distress signal, but they are explosive and contain toxic chemicals and must be managed as hazardous waste when expired or no longer needed. To assure safety and protect the environment, it is essential to manage single-use pyrotechnic marine flares carefully. Boaters should never throw expired or unneeded flares overboard or in the trash.
Single-use pyrotechnic marine flares expire and must be replaced every 36 to 42 months after their manufacture date and recreational vessels generate about 174,000 pyrotechnic expired marine flares every year, according to the California Expired Marine Flare Working Group estimate in 2011. However, California boaters do not currently have access to an ongoing state-wide disposal program for expired marine flares. To avoid the difficulties of safe disposal for pyrotechnic marine flares, the partners encourage boaters to consider an electronic visual distress signal device (eVDSD) as a reusable, safe and cost-effective alternative to buying the single-use pyrotechnic marine flares.
For more information about expired marine flares visit, dbw.parks.ca.gov/marineflares and to learn more check our podcast about this topic
