Office trades masks for fireworks

A sub-district government office in Zhabei district is offering local residents free pollution filtering masks Wednesday in exchange for their fireworks ahead of the Spring Festival holiday, local media reported.

The exchange, which takes place on Baochang Road from 9:30 am to 10:30 am Wednesday, aims to encourage local residents to set off fewer fireworks during the holiday, when use of the explosives is most prolific, said Shao Jianxuan, a press officer with the Baoshan Road sub-district office.

"Although Chinese people traditionally set off fireworks and firecrackers to celebrate the arrival of the Spring Festival, the practice has a lot of drawbacks, such as the noise and the garbage it produces. It also pollutes the air," Shao told the Global Times.

Sub-district officials visited residents in their jurisdiction Monday to persuade them not to set off the fireworks in an effort to promote environmental protection. "Most of the residents we visited favored the idea and said they were willing to cooperate, but we're not sure whether they will actually go through with it," Shao said.

Shao said the main purpose of the exchange was to encourage residents to have a greener Spring Festival. "Residents can exchange fireworks worth about 100 yuan ($16) for a face mask that can filter out fine particles from the air," Shao said. "We will then hand over the fireworks and firecrackers we collect to the local fire department."

In the future, the sub-district office also wants to set aside special communal locations for residents to set off fireworks. "They will not only be able to share the experience, but it will also help reduce the amount of fireworks people set off individually," Shao said. "We will ensure these locations are safe."

A local fireworks vendor surnamed Gao remained confident in his business. "There are still a lot of customers coming to buy fireworks hoping to have a prosperous new year," he told the Global Times.

Many people, especially businessmen, strongly believe that setting off the fireworks will bring them wealth. "It is a tradition. I don't think it will be easy to change in a short time," Gao said.