One Year After the Disposable Vape Ban: Why Are Millions of Vapes Still Ending Up in the Bin?

When the disposable vape ban came into force, one of its biggest aims was to reduce waste and encourage a move towards rechargeable alternatives. In many ways, that's exactly what's happened. Today, more people are choosing vape kits, prefilled pod kits and replaceable prefilled pods, helping to cut down on the number of single-use devices being thrown away.

But one year on, a different problem has emerged.

New figures released by consumer safety charity Electrical Safety First, using data supplied by waste management company Biffa, suggest that millions of vapes are still being disposed of incorrectly. Despite greater awareness of the risks, large numbers of devices continue to end up in household bins and recycling collections, where the lithium-ion batteries inside can become damaged and start fires.

The latest figures paint a worrying picture. Between June 2025 and March 2026, Biffa identified more than 2 million incorrectly discarded vapes across just four of its waste facilities. That's the equivalent of almost 300 vapes every hour, or more than 6,500 every day.

At the same time, research carried out by Electrical Safety First found that 59% of vapers admitted disposing of a vape in either their household rubbish or recycling bin during the previous 12 months. Even more concerning, many said this wasn't an occasional mistake. Among those using general waste bins, 67% admitted doing so once a week or more, while 71% of those using household recycling bins said they were disposing of vapes there just as regularly.

The figures suggest that, despite the disposable vape ban, incorrect disposal remains a widespread issue rather than an isolated one.

The concern isn't the plastic casing or the pod itself, it's the battery hidden inside.

Most modern vape devices contain lithium-ion batteries, whether they're disposable models, rechargeable vape kits or prefilled pod kits. When those batteries are crushed or punctured during waste collection, they can overheat and ignite, creating fires that spread quickly through bin lorries and recycling facilities.

According to Electrical Safety First, these incidents put waste collection workers at unnecessary risk while also causing significant damage to recycling infrastructure. Batteries that aren't recycled correctly can also release harmful materials into the environment if they're damaged or left in landfill.

That's why organisations across the waste and recycling sector continue to urge people to "don't bin the battery", even as vaping products evolve.

One of the most interesting findings from the research wasn't simply how many people were disposing of vapes incorrectly, but why.

The survey found that:

These findings suggest that the problem isn't necessarily a lack of willingness. In many cases, people simply aren't aware that vape products need to be treated as electrical items because of the batteries they contain.

The Go Smoke Free View

The move towards rechargeable vaping has been one of the biggest changes we've seen since the disposable vape ban, but changing the products people use is only part of the solution.

The next challenge is helping people build new habits. Replacing a prefilled pod has become second nature for many vapers, but knowing what to do with the device once it reaches the end of its life isn't always as obvious. The more we treat old vape devices like any other small electrical item, the easier proper recycling becomes.

For most people, throwing something away is the end of the story. In reality, it's where the biggest risk begins.

Vapes contain lithium-ion batteries, and when they're placed in household rubbish or mixed in with recycling, those batteries can be crushed, punctured or damaged as they pass through the waste collection process. If that happens, they can overheat and ignite, creating fires that spread quickly through bin lorries and recycling facilities.

That's why organisations such as Electrical Safety First continue to raise awareness of incorrect vape disposal. It's not simply about reducing waste. It's about protecting the people who collect, sort and process it every day, while preventing valuable materials from being lost unnecessarily.

One of the biggest challenges isn't that people don't want to recycle their old vape. It's that many simply aren't sure what the correct process is.

Unlike a plastic bottle or cardboard box, a vape contains a mixture of materials, including electronics, plastics and a lithium-ion battery. That can make it difficult to know whether it belongs in the recycling bin, the general waste bin or somewhere else entirely.

The reality is that vape devices should be treated as small electrical items rather than everyday household waste. Once you start thinking of them in the same way as an old electric toothbrush or rechargeable battery, knowing how to dispose of them becomes much more straightforward.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that recycling a vape involves a special collection scheme or a trip to a dedicated facility. In reality, most people already pass suitable recycling points as part of their normal routine.

You can usually recycle your old vape at:

●    Supermarkets with battery recycling facilities.
●    Household waste and recycling centres.
●    Specialist vape retailers offering take-back schemes.
●    Local electrical recycling points.

If you're unsure where to go, Recycle Your Electricals provides a postcode finder to help you locate your nearest battery recycling point. For many people, recycling a vape is no more difficult than dropping off a used battery while doing the weekly shop.

Recycling doesn't have to become another chore. Often, it's simply about building it into things you're already doing.

If you're buying a new prefilled vape pod, replacing your vape kit or picking up another bottle of vape liquid, take your old device with you and recycle it at the same time. Keeping finished devices somewhere safe until your next trip to a supermarket, recycling centre or vape shop also makes it much less likely they'll end up in the wrong bin.

Small changes like these might not seem significant, but if more people adopted them, they could help keep millions of lithium-ion batteries out of the household waste stream each year.

The Go Smoke Free View

One thing we've realised over the past year is that vaping has changed much faster than recycling habits have.

More people are now choosing rechargeable vape kits and prefilled pod kits, which is exactly the direction the industry has been moving since the disposable vape ban. But even the most advanced rechargeable device eventually reaches the end of its life, and that's where responsible disposal becomes just as important as choosing the right product in the first place.

The past year has shown that reducing waste isn't simply about changing the products people buy. It's also about changing what happens after they've been used. Millions of vapes are still finding their way into household waste every week, but that's something every one of us can help improve. Choosing rechargeable alternatives is an important step forward, but recycling them properly is what helps complete the picture.

Whether you're upgrading to a new vape kit, replacing your prefilled pod kit or stocking up on e-liquids, taking a few extra moments to dispose of old devices responsibly is one of the simplest ways to support a safer and more sustainable future for vaping.