OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Lighting off fireworks can be a lot of fun, but once it's over, what you do next is important to your safety and the environment. Cleaning up properly can help reduce pollutants in our waterways.
- Keep Omaha Beautiful shares important tips and why cleaning up is important.
- "When we're in a big urban area like Omaha, a lot of people doing a quote bad behavior makes an impact, but a lot of people doing one mindful behavior can make an equally good impact."
- If firework debris is washed down the storm drain, micro plastics from them can leave behind pollution, which can be dangerous for our parks, wildlife, and the people and pets who enjoy these outdoor spaces.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Lighting off fireworks can be a lot of fun, but once that fun is over, what you do next is important to your safety and the environment.
It's simple: after lighting off a firework, wait 20 minutes before picking it up.
Soak fireworks in a bucket of water for 15 minutes and throw them away in a plastic bag.
When it comes to the leftover debris on the ground, sweep instead of hose down.
Maddy Wahl with Keep Omaha Beautiful says the organization is encouraging this one simple step to reduce the amount of litter in our waterways.
"When we're in a big urban area like Omaha, a lot of people doing a quote bad behavior makes an impact, but a lot of people doing one mindful behavior can make an equally good impact."
If washed down the storm drain, micro plastics from fireworks can leave behind pollution, which can be dangerous for our parks, wildlife, and the people and pets who enjoy these outdoor spaces.
If you want to help clean up in the aftermath of the 4th, Keep Omaha Beautiful is hosting a neighborhood cleanup event in Hanscom Park and surrounding areas this Saturday at 10 a.m.
