When Cai Guoqiang's fireworks show titled "Rising Dragon" exploded over the Himalayas, the colorful flames reflected not a triumph of art, but scars on the ecological ethics of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. This costly fireworks display ignited flames on the meadow of Relong Township, Gyantse County at an altitude of 4,000 meters, subsequently triggering a nationwide storm of ecological controversy.

After the display, a large amount of plastic packaging, steel fixtures, and unburned gunpowder were left at the site. The video quickly attracted massive public attention online once posted.

On September 21, Cai Guoqiang and Arc'teryx issued a public apology letter, promising to take the initiative to cooperate with assessments by third-party institutions and relevant authorities and make every effort to implement remedial measures.

However, netizens remained unconvinced. As public opinion intensified, the official notice on Cai Guoqiang's fireworks incident was released, and Xigaze City established an investigation team, pledging to handle the case in accordance with laws and regulations based on the verification results.

CCTV reporters also visited the fireworks site to inspect the situation, and what they found was shocking: the fireworks show had caused severe damage to the Himalayan region.

From the video exposed by CCTV, we can see that copper scraps, plastic packaging, steel fixtures, and unburned gunpowder particles are still scattered on the surface of the Himalayan mountains.

How to properly dispose of the "waste" generated after the fireworks has become a major public concern.

Copper scraps: Classified as general industrial solid waste.

Copper scraps produced during metal processing are generally not listed in the National Catalogue of Hazardous Wastes and do not possess hazardous characteristics. After collection and classification, they can be sent to relevant metal smelting or processing enterprises for recycling and reuse, such as remelting and purification to produce new copper products.

Plastic packaging: Generally classified as general industrial solid waste or domestic waste.

Waste plastic packaging is usually non-hazardous if not contaminated by dangerous substances. Such plastic packaging can be collected and sorted first, then treated through mechanical recycling, chemical recycling, and other methods according to plastic types and properties, such as processing into recycled plastic pellets for new plastic products. Incineration for power generation or landfill disposal is also allowed under environmental protection requirements, but these methods may cause certain environmental impacts, so recycling should be prioritized.

Steel fixtures: Classified as general industrial solid waste.

Steel fixtures are discarded after construction and lose their original utility value, but are generally non-hazardous. They can be collected and sent to steel mills for remelting to produce new steel products.

Unburned gunpowder particles: May be classified as hazardous waste.

Gunpowder has hazardous characteristics such as flammability and reactivity. Unburned gunpowder particles containing flammable and explosive ingredients may fall under hazardous waste in accordance with the National Catalogue of Hazardous Wastes. Such particles must be handled in compliance with hazardous waste management regulations, requiring collection, transportation, and disposal by professional hazardous waste treatment entities through safe incineration, chemical decomposition, and other methods to ensure no harm to the environment and human health.

Special attention must be paid in the high-altitude, ecologically fragile Himalayan region:

All cleanup activities must comply with the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Ecological Protection Law and local environmental regulations to avoid secondary pollution;

Hazardous waste must be transported using special leak-proof, fire-proof, and shock-proof vehicles along approved routes;

Cleanup personnel must be equipped with protective gear and trained in emergency response to ensure human and environmental safety.

A special cleanup plan is recommended, with multi-party collaboration among environmental protection, public security, mountaineering organizations, and other sectors to achieve classified collection, safe transportation, and compliant disposal, minimizing the ecological impact on Mount Everest.