If material is not to be retained past the short-term (see the ‘Selecting and appraising section of ‘Documenting and selecting material‘) you should dispose of it sensitively, ideally in discussion with those affected by the event, and with those who may be part of the disposal process. You may wish to consult on possible options more widely. It can be helpful to communicate about decisions and timescales – this may include making information available at physical sites as well as through your communication channels – see ‘Developing a plan‘.
- Flowers and appropriate organic materials can be composted. Know that cellophane wrappings, elastic bands, and packets of flower food should be removed before composting can take place. Composting may take a year or longer to complete, and appropriate facilities are required to store and manage the composting process. The finished compost could be used in an appropriate place (for example, a park where tributes have been left, or a dedicated memorial garden).
- Clothing and soft toys which are not unique or distinctive or without specific dedication could be washed and donated to appropriate charities, as in Manchester.
- Candles could be melted together to form symbolic candles. These might be given to bereaved people, or used in memorial events.
Note that LED and battery-operated candles may need specialist recycling. - Remember that any items containing personal data which are not to be retained should be securely disposed of.
- Very large quantities of materials which are not retained may be specially cremated and the remains incorporated into a future memorial or disposed of symbolically as part of future anniversary or other remembrance activities. For example, the community of Newtown, Connecticut, created ‘sacred soil’ in this way which was incorporated into the permanent Sandy Hook Memorial.
Partner organisations may work with you in specific areas. You may have identified these early on, as outlined in ‘Who is involved?’, on the ‘Initial evaluation‘ page of this guidance. You could approach additional organisations with specific requests: for example, voluntary organisations may assist with washing and distributing clothing and soft toys. Be aware of and sensitive to who is being approached: for example, it may be appropriate to approach all the faith-based organisations in the area through a local inter-faith forum rather than individual groups directly.
You should communicate clearly where disposals will be made over the longer-term so that people are aware of what is happening or will happen. You should track and manage material held in temporary storage locations, particularly when the use of space or other facilities is donated. This may include proactively maintaining relationships with supporters to avoid needing to find alternative storage at short notice.
Remember that this work may have an impact on those who carry it out – see ‘Managing wellbeing‘.