How should we dispose of disposable vapes?

Councils and refuse workers are urging people not to throw disposable vapes in regular bins, but recycle them properly instead

As the number of adults estimated to vape continues to rise - from four-and-a-half million in 2022 to more than five million in 2023 in Great Britain - there are concerns about the negative impact of throwing away single-use or disposable vapes.

London Fire Brigade said it had to respond to more than 200 fires caused by lithium batteries - as found in disposable vapes - in the past two years.

Refuse collectors and local councils joined in the plea to residents to get rid of disposable vapes responsibly, after instances where lithium batteries put in household waste caused fires putting workers at risk.

So can Londoners do this - and is it such an issue if they don't?

Are all vapes hard to recycle?

Campaigners say the materials and chemicals used to make vapes - including their lithium batteries - make them difficult to dispose of safely.

Refillable vapes and e-cigarettes allow you to remove and recycle the battery, London Fire Brigade (LFB) said.

This is harder with disposable vapes because the lithium batteries are inside the enclosed casing of the vape itself, so unable to be removed easily.

One recycling facility previously told BBC London it dismantles them, then crushes the battery into fine powders for re-use.

Research published in 2023 by not-for-profit organisation Material Focus suggested only 17% of disposable vape recycle - and an estimated five million disposable vapes are thrown away each week in the UK.

It is harder to recycle batteries in disposable vapes as they are not easily removed

Why can't I recycle them at home?

The LFB said: "Lithium batteries and electricals with hidden lithium batteries should not be placed in the same bins as your regular rubbish or recycling."

There is a risk of the battery exploding and catching fire if it has been damaged.

Fires at landfill sites have been caused when batteries have been thrown away in household bins, compacted in waste lorries, or are stored in landfill.

The LFB said these battery-started fires are "time consuming, and require a high level of resources" to put out.

How can I recycle disposable vapes?

Many retailers offer take-back services for disposable vapes where you can drop their vapes into a special bin in store.

You can check your postcode to find recycling points in shops near you, such as Material Focus' Recycle Your Electricals website and the London Recycles scheme.

Some councils also have recycling points at household recycling centres across London boroughs, but you should visit your local council's website to check whether this service is available in your area.

It is not clear whether the new Labour government's plans for a Tobacco and Vapes Bill include a ban on disposable vapes

Are there any long-term solutions?

In 2022, London Mayor Sadiq Khan told London Assembly Members the ReLondon partnership was working to increase access to vape recycling in flats by including waste bins for small electricals in some communal bin stores, which he said resulted in a reduction of these items in residual waste.

More widely, the previous Conservative government announced changes to the rules around vapes, including a ban on disposable vapes, to be introduced in April 2025.

This would effectively eliminate the issue of recycling legally purchased disposable vapes, as they would no longer be able to be sold.

However, this Tobacco and Vapes Bill had not become law before parliament was dissolved ahead of the July general election - and the new Labour government said it would introduce its own Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Details of the bill were set out in this year's King Speech but it did not mention a ban on disposable vapes.

BBC London has been told ministers from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs are reviewing proposals to restrict the sale and supply of disposable vapes before setting out their next steps.

In the meantime, safety experts and council workers continue to urge vapers in the capital to recycle disposable vapes safely, rather than binning them.