Unsafe disposal of millions of vapes a week causing environmental damage and rise in lithium-ion battery fires

The organisation, which campaigns to make it easier for people to recycle unwanted electrical items, has also warned about the growing popularity of ‘big puff’ vapes, which it says are being sold by manufacturers as a way of circumventing the UK’s forthcoming disposable vape ban. Big puff vapes contain up to 6,000 puffs, compared with 600 for regular single-use vapes, and are cheaper to use, therefore their popularity has “soared” in recent months, said Material Focus.

More than one million vapes a day are thrown away or incorrectly recycled in the UK. Photograph: iStock/Benjamin Robinson

A survey commissioned by the group and carried out by Opinium found that 8.2 million single-use, pod and big puff vapes are thrown away or improperly recycled each week in the UK. While more people are now recycling these products in store – 20 per cent in 2024 compared with eight per cent the previous year – this is being outstripped by rising vape sales. A total of 13.5 million vapes were purchased each week in the UK this year – a 37 per cent increase on 2023.

In addition to the damaging impact on the environment of single-use vapes, the incorrect disposal of these lithium-ion battery-containing products is causing an increase in fires inside bin lorries and at waste and recycling centres, putting refuse workers and the public at risk. This was illustrated in a video posted by Barnet Council earlier this year, which showed a London refuse worker narrowly escaping injury when a bin he loaded onto a lorry exploded.

Research conducted by Material Focus found that the number of battery fires in the waste stream had increased by 71 per cent to more than 1,200 in 2024, compared with two years ago.

“Vape producers are being infinitely creative with their products in order to avoid the forthcoming disposable vape ban,” said Material Focus executive director Scott Butler, referring to legislation that is due to take effect in June 2025. “Whilst the current ban will take some of the most environmentally wasteful products off the market, we might need more flexible legislation to deal with the ongoing challenges of the new products surging into the market.”

The organisation, which describes vapes as “one of the most environmentally wasteful, damaging and dangerous consumer products ever made”, is calling for “rapid growth” in the number of visible and accessible vape recycling drop-off points, to try and reduce the number of vapes that are incorrectly and unsafely discarded.