Vapes and e-cigarettes

Vapes and pods

Do not throw vapes, pods or e-cigarettes out with your household or recycling waste, or in street litter bins. Even disposable devices need to be handled carefully.

Safe disposal

Vapes have batteries and electronic parts and putting them in regular bins is dangerous and can lead to fires. 

Fires endanger workers and the public. They can also destroy equipment and have a negative environmental impact. Every week 6.3 million vapes and pods are thrown away, and last year alone there were more than 1,200 battery fires in bin lorries and at waste sites across the UK.

Where to recycle vapes and pods

Vapes contain different parts that make them difficult to recycle. This page tells you how to dispose of your vapes and pods safely and responsibly. You can also find out more about recycling vapes on the recycle your electricals website.

By law, all shops and online sellers of vapes must provide a free instore take back scheme for you to recycle vapes. If you cannot see a recycling point in store, ask staff.

You can also recycle vapes, batteries and electricals at all our household waste recycling centres. 

Recycle vape liquids or juice bottles

After you have recycled your vapes either at a shop or one of our household waste recycling centres, you can put empty bottles in your kerbside recycling.