- Almost 7,000 vapes a day containing 'zombie batteries’ entering Biffa’s waste system – the equivalent of almost 300 vapes an hour.
- ‘Zombie batteries’ are lithium-ion batteries in devices that are disposed of incorrectly, coming back to life and exploding when crushed or damaged in lorries and waste sites.
- Vapes found in waste sites increasing month on month.
- Experts at Electrical Safety First & Biffa urge households: “Don’t bin the battery”.
Hundreds of thousands of ‘zombie batteries’ in vapes that can come back from the dead in a fiery explosion if improperly discarded are still making their way into the waste system since the disposable vape ban, new figures show.
New data shared with consumer safety charity Electrical Safety First by the UK’s largest waste management company Biffa, reveal more than 840,000 vapes were found in four of its sites between June and September 2025 – an average of more than 7,000 every day.
Four of its key waste material sites, in Teesside, Walsall, Ipswich and North London have uncovered hundreds of thousands of vapes since June of this year.
The latest figures have sparked a Halloween warning from both organisations of the horrors posed by zombie batteries in vapes, which, if disposed of incorrectly in general waste or recycling bins, can come back to life by exploding in bin lorries and waste centre sites, putting workers at serious risk, damaging equipment, disrupting services and causing environmental harm.
Experts are also warning it’s not just vapes causing Halloween horrors, but battery-powered decorations, light-up costumes and novelty gadgets that can also pose a risk if their batteries are binned incorrectly and then damaged.
Waste centre & lorry fires:
Further data supplied to Electrical Safety First by Biffa shows zombie batteries have so far caused more than 180 fires across the company’s UK estate since June alone.
New video footage of a recent incident shows a Biffa waste lorry emptying its smouldering contents onto the road as a fire caused by a battery erupts.
Vapes contain lithium-ion batteries which if punctured, crushed or damaged can fall into a process called thermal runaway, reaching dangerously high temperatures and causing ferocious fires.
Since the disposable vape ban came into force this summer, Biffa has seen an increase in all types of vapes across four of their major sites, with almost 20,000 more vapes found in these sites in August and September compared to June and July.
Experts warn this sharp rise could lead to a frightening increase in fires, putting both workers and waste centre sites at risk.
Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First, said: “Incorrectly disposing of a vape in the general household waste or recycling can have very real and frightening consequences for waste collection workers who are just trying to do their job.
"Vapes contain lithium-ion batteries, and if these batteries are thrown away incorrectly, they risk coming back to life in gruesome fashion by exploding and causing ferocious fires that put workers at risk.
"Every individual household can help turn the tide on this issue one action at a time. We urge all households to stop, think, and don’t bin the battery.”
The biggest Halloween fright this year could be lurking in your bin
Luke Walter, manager of Biffa’s Aldridge materials recovery facility in Walsall, experienced first-hand the devastation these fires can cause, after an incorrectly disposed of vape with a lithium-ion battery exploded.
The blaze put the site out of action for six months, landing Biffa with a multi-million-pound repair and rebuild bill.
“The fire here in January was particularly devastating. The most important thing is that everyone went home safe and well but, understandably, the immediate concern was job security.
“The site is now fully operational again, and while we remain hyper-vigilant about fire risks, the danger will persist as long as batteries – lithium-ion or alkaline - hidden in small electrical devices such as vapes continue to be placed in general waste and recycling bins.”
How to ensure your battery doesn't come back from the dead:
Electrical Safety First and Biffa are reminding households, “Don’t bin the battery” this Halloween and:
- Recycle vapes in store: All retailers that sell vapes in the UK must take back your old one to recycle.
- At your local recycling centre: Many household waste and recycling centres have facilities for electricals and batteries. If your product has a removable battery, recycle it separately.
- Locate your nearest battery recycling facility: Visit www.recycleyourelectricals.org.uk to find your local recycling point with the capability to accept batteries.