- More than half of vapers admit to disposing of their vape incorrectly in household rubbish or recycling bins since disposable vape ban came into force
- Two thirds of those using household rubbish bins say they do so once a week or more, whilst nearly three quarters using recycling bins admit doing the same
- Vapers urged ‘don’t bin the battery’ as charity calls for greater public awareness of recycling options
A year on from the introduction of the disposable vape ban, millions of vapes are still entering household waste and recycling streams at alarming rates, raising ongoing concerns over the fire risk posed by lithium-ion batteries.
New data shared with consumer safety charity Electrical Safety First by the UK’s largest waste management company, Biffa, reveals more than 2 million incorrectly discarded vapes were found at just four of its sites between June 2025 and March 2026 – the equivalent of almost 300 vapes every hour and more than 6,500 every day.
The figures come as polling of 1,000 vapers across the UK by the charity found that more than half (59%) admitted to disposing of their vape incorrectly in household rubbish or recycling bins over the past 12 months – despite the same proportion saying they were aware that improper disposal can cause fires in bin lorries and recycling centres.
Worryingly, of those who said they had disposed of their vape in the household general waste bin, two thirds (67%) admitted doing this once a week or more.
Meanwhile, nearly three quarters (71%) of those who had put vapes in household recycling bins admitted doing the same, suggesting the true number of vapes entering the waste system could be in the millions each week.
Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First, said: “Every vape thrown into household rubbish or recycling has the potential to create very real and frightening risks for waste collection workers who are simply doing their job.
“Vapes contain lithium-ion batteries, and when they are disposed of incorrectly, those batteries can be crushed or damaged, which can lead to fires that can escalate rapidly and put workers at risk.
“Safe disposal can start with simple changes. If you use vapes, build safe disposal into your routine, for example, every time you go to the supermarket or a vape shop, drop off your used vapes at the designated vape disposal point.
“Every household can help turn the tide on this issue by making safe disposal a habit rather than an afterthought, therefore reducing the number of dangerous batteries entering the waste stream. We urge all households to stop, think, and don’t bin the battery.”
What is preventing safe disposal?
Whilst some vapers admit to safe disposal habits, including taking devices to a recycling centre or drop-off point (28%) or returning them to a shop or retailer (16%), the findings also highlight key barriers to correct disposal.
More than a quarter (27%) said they did not know vapes needed to be disposed of in a specific way, whilst others assumed placing them in the bin was fine (25%) or said they lacked convenient local disposal options (21%).
Why are incorrectly disposed vapes dangerous?
Vapes contain lithium-ion batteries which can cause explosive and highly toxic fires, if damaged.
When thrown into household rubbish or recycling bins, vapes can be crushed, punctured, or compacted during the waste process, causing the batteries inside to overheat or ignite.
These fires can spread quickly through bin lorries and recycling centres, putting workers at risk, and causing major disruption and costly damage. Damaged batteries can also leak harmful chemicals into the environment if they are not recycled properly.
How to safely recycle your vape
Electrical Safety First is reminding households “don’t bin the battery” 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 recycleyourelectricals.org.uk to find your local recycling point with the capability to accept batteries.