The plea came from the council last week (7 February), where the authority said that “fully recyclable” vapes are being found in waste processing facilities and being littered, at great cost to the council.
Gateshead warned of the “dangers” of disposing of vapes incorrectly, and instead pointed residents towards the council’s two HWRCs, which both have a bin for vapes.
Incineration
However, once deposited at HWRCs, the vapes collected by the council’s producer compliance scheme Valpak are disposed of through high temperature incineration.
This is because “there is no UK-wide full recycling option for single-use e-cigarettes and vapes,” Valpak said.
The company added its current solution for Gateshead’s vapes is “focused on providing a responsible collection and disposal service for undamaged used devices”. Valpak says it is currently looking into solutions for recycling used devices or some of their constituent parts and expect to launch a service later this year.
“We have also engaged with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to help them make informed decisions about polices related to the e-cigarettes and vapes,” the company added.
“We would stress that providing separate collection mechanisms for these items and processing them separately in a controlled manner has removed the danger posed to us by otherwise mixing them with our other waste and recycling streams.”
Vapes are fully recyclable, so I urge all residents to recycle them responsibly
- Councillor Linda Green, South Tyne and Wear Waste Management Partnership
Plea
Vapes, or e-cigarettes, have increased in popularity in recent years as an alternative to smoking , with an estimated 1.3 million of them being discarded across the UK every week.
They are often marketed as disposable and are causing a huge issue for local authorities and waste management companies.
Councillor Linda Green, chair of the South Tyne and Wear Waste Management Partnership, said: “I really dislike the term ‘disposable’, as they are anything but. All vapes contain a battery, and if you throw them in your bin and they are collected by our crews, these batteries can be damaged during processing and spark, setting fire to any combustible materials around them.
“This is particularly hazardous in our waste facilities or in collection vehicles, where they can cause large fires and present a real danger to life. Vapes are fully recyclable, so I urge all residents using these devices to recycle them responsibly once they’ve finished using them.”
Fire
Gateshead suffered a major fire at its waste transfer station operated by Suez in 2021 (see letsrecycle.com story).
The fire started within some waste brought in from a HWRC, and while the cause is unknown, the council “believes it was likely to be something small like a battery or vape igniting other waste around it.”
Councils up and down the country have also been reporting issues with disposable vapes causing fires.
Councillor Green added: “We’re not only find an increasingly volume of vapes in our waste processing facilities, but they also litter our streets and green spaces, being thrown on the ground much like cigarette butts. This costs the council additional money to clean up, money that could be better spent on other services, but if these are damaged, they can leak toxic materials that are harmful to the environment.
“Please make sure you are using rechargeable devices, and avoid the use of one-use disposable options to save on waste. And to make recycling easier, collect them over time, and take them to your nearest Household Waste and Recycling Centres or supermarket on your next visit.”
Review
The rising popularity of single use vapes and their impact on the environment has led to the Scottish government reviewing them, while Defra says it is reviewing the current producer responsibility systems for WEEE and batteries and plans to publish the much-delayed consultations on both areas “this year”, and in doing so will look at vapes (see letsrecycle.com story).
The UK Vaping Industry Association, the trade body representing the UK’s vaping industry’s interests, says it is in discussions along with its member with several waste companies to create a recycling solution that is “fit for purpose for the vaping sector”.
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