Vape recycling bins have been installed at all 20 Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) in the region.
The collected vapes are transported to recycling facilities to be dismantled where the lithium-ion battery is removed for processing and the metals and plastics are recycled.
The incorrect disposal of vapes can lead to the fires and the loss of precious resources. Waste management company Veolia reports seeing a fire a day due to vapes and other Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) that have been disposed of in residual waste streams. Most fires in the waste collection and recycling industry are caused by lithium-ion batteries, such as those found in vapes.
Research released this year from Material Focus identified that the UK public buys 7.7 million single use vapes per week, which has doubled compared to 2022.
The research also found that people throw away five million single use vapes per week, or eight per second, which has quadrupled compared to 2022.
Councillor Greg White, executive member for waste services at North Yorkshire council, said: “This exciting new initiative has the aim of ensuring that people who use vape devices know how to dispose of them in the right way.
“Vapes are not safe to be recycled or disposed of in kerbside bins or boxes at home. One incorrectly discarded vape could cause huge damage or serious injury.
“In August, we also introduced coffee pod bins at our recycling centres as we aim to continue expanding what we accept at our recycling centres. These initiatives demonstrate our commitment to responsible recycling and reducing our carbon footprint.
“And, as always, during Recycle Week we are raising awareness of commonly missed items that can be recycled but end up in the rubbish. This includes empty aerosols, plastic cleaning product bottles, plastic toiletry bottles and food tins.”
If you want to find out more about fire safety and prevention, make sure you attend the Fire Prevention and Control Conference 2024 in Birmingham on 13th November 2024. See the full agenda and book tickets here.
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