Disposable vapes cause fire, impossible to recycle, councils say

Disposable vapes are increasingly causing fires in bin lorries, councils have said, calling for the Environment Agency to enforce retailer duties and reform of the producer responsibility scheme to tackle this problem.

According to Local Government Association, which represents councils in England and Wales, single-use vapes are almost impossible to recycle.

They are designed as one unit so batteries cannot be separated from the plastic. The organisation said the lithium batteries inside the plastic can sharply increase in temperature if crushed and can become flammable.

Councils are calling for the Environment Agency to proactively enforce retailer duties on paying into a producer compliance scheme and reform of the producer responsibility scheme.

Councillor Linda Taylor, the LGA’s environment spokesperson, said, “Single-use vapes, just like any other item of hazardous waste, need to be properly classified and producers must take responsibility for the litter they create.

“The volume of these items that council waste teams are handling is increasing, and this is coming at a great cost to the council taxpayer. We need a crackdown on the producers and retailers of these products, and to get this litter under control.”

E-cigarettes are classified as “toys, leisure and sports equipment” that councils say does not reflect the harm of the material or cost of collection. The LGA has added that the government should also look at ways to encourage take-back of vapes through a deposit return scheme funded by producers.

Last year, research by Material Focus – a non-profit organisation which runs the Recycle Your Electricals campaign – found that about 1.3 million single-use vapes are thrown away each week in the UK. Their work found that more than 700 fires in bin lorries and recycling centres were caused by batteries that had been dumped into general waste, The Guardian reported.

A Defra spokesperson said: “All electrical waste should be properly disposed of and recycled to protect our environment – this includes disposable vape pens.

“Our environmental improvement plan sets out our plan to review rules for waste electricals this year. As part of this, we will consider what changes in legislation are needed to ensure the vaping sector foots the bill for the collection and treatment of their used products.”