Thousands of vapes and over 3.2 million batteries are thrown in the bin in Cumbria every year.
While it might seem harmless – throwing a vape or battery in the bin or recycling can have serious consequences.
If damaged during the disposal process, they can spontaneously ignite, burning at extremely high temperatures between 700 degrees and 1,000 degrees and releasing dangerous gases.
The fire was believed to be caused by either a stray battery or a vape or a different household item containing a battery, which had been put in a regular household bin.
Two fire engines attended and spent 30 minutes putting the fire out at the scene, so while we might think chucking a battery in the bin won’t do any harm, it can and does often have real life consequences.
If batteries and vapes make it through to recycling or black bin waste processing, they can cause fires or explosions there too.
But if you can’t throw a vape in the bin or recycle it, then where on earth do you send it?
Why can’t I throw my vape or batteries in the bin or recycling?
Vapes contain lithium batteries which can catch fire when they’re damaged.
Lithium battery fires are extremely difficult to put out and require a lot of resources to tackle.
Nick Blake, contract manager for Biffa, who work with the council to manage Cumbria’s waste, said vapes are one of the biggest problems in the waste industry right now.
He added: “One of the biggest problems the industry is facing at the moment is from batteries and vapes.
“If you’ve seen the stories of collection vehicles catching fire, that’s all from lithium-ion batteries that have a stored charge element in them.
“Once they’re ignited, you actually can’t put them out. It’s like when cars catch on fire, the fire brigade have to leave them to burn out, it’s the same thing.
“They also release poisonous gasses and it’s getting worse year on year.”
Illegal and unregulated vapes sold online can also pose extra danger with the chemicals they contain not only to consumers but also when they are thrown away.
Batteries pose a particular problem to the way our black bin waste is treated – as it involves a lot of heat and shredding that can easily damage a stray battery or vape.
Vapes and batteries cannot be thrown in with black bin waste or recycling – but they can be disposed of in other ways.
Where should I dispose of my vape then?
There are a number of shops and supermarkets that sell vapes and also allow you to return them.
If you can’t find a store that will accept your used vape – they can be taken to Household Waste Recycling Centres in bulk.
Refillable vapes and e-cigarettes normally allow users to remove the lithium ion battery for recycling.
When vapes are not disposed of correctly, Greenpeace has claimed they can cause harmful chemicals like battery acid, lithium and nicotine to leak into the environment.
Where can I dispose of batteries?
Batteries can be recycled – but they must go to special recycling sites or drop zones and not in your household recycling.
Lots of stores and supermarkets offer drop-sites for batteries but your local Household Waste Recycling Centre will also take and recycle your batteries.
In 2010, it became mandatory for shops selling more than 32kg of batteries a year to provide recycling facilities for them in store.
That means most big supermarkets should have disposal facilities for you.
While batteries are not processed in Cumbria – they are sent away to third parties who are able to crush them down into powder for reuse.
When you say batteries, what does that include?
All household batteries can be recycled from big chunky 9V batteries to button batteries for things like watches.
This also includes rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.
Battery packs from laptops, mobile phones, power tools and remote-control units can also be taken to HWRCs.
Car batteries are also able to be disposed of at these sites too.
Sometimes batteries hide in plain sight – so be extra careful when throwing away things like toothbrushes, toys, phones and laptops.
What makes vapes so difficult to recycle?
Vapes – particularly single-use disposable vapes – are difficult to recycle.
Their batteries are hard to retrieve from their tightly fixed casing and then often contain chemicals and materials that are difficult to dispose of.
While disposable vapes are set to be banned, they are still causing disposal problems.
Vapes should be taken to either a Household Waste Recycling Centre or a designated drop point at a supermarket or vape shop.
Still trying to figure out if your recycling makes a difference in Cumbria? Read more here.
Want to know exactly what you can and can’t recycle in Cumbria? Read more here.
