Bin lorry fire prompts disposable vapes warning

Firefighters were called to deal with the smouldering rubbish that had to be quickly unloaded in a pub car park

People are being reminded not to throw disposable vapes into household bins following the latest fire in a dustcart.

About two tonnes of smouldering rubbish had to be dumped after it caught fire during a collection round in Little Weighton, near Beverley, East Yorkshire.

The fire is being blamed on sparks from a battery inside a single use or disposable vape which had been thrown in a bin.

A spokesperson for East Riding of Yorkshire Council said vapes, batteries and anything with a battery in it should be taken to household recycling sites where there were specific bins for such items.

Research published in 2023 by Material Focus suggested only 17% of disposable vapes were recycled and an estimated five million were thrown away each week in the UK.

Millions of disposable vaping products are thrown away each week in the UK

The council said there had been a number of fires in its bin lorries and at household recycling sites over the past few years, causing thousands of pounds' worth of damage.

These included two fires at the tip in Carnaby, near Bridlington – the latest being in September 2024.

Paul West, the council's cabinet member for environment and transport, said: "Please never, ever put vapes or batteries of any type in your household bins. We have said this so many times.

"I'm full of praise for this bin crew for their fast actions in preventing this incident from becoming much worse than it was."

In October, the government announced that the sale of single-use disposable vapes would be banned in England and Wales from June this year.

Ministers said the move, first proposed in January last year by the previous government, was intended to protect children's health and prevent environmental damage.

But the vaping industry has warned that the ban could fuel a rise in illegal sales of the products.

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