Fire and sheer volume': how Britain's 6m-vape problem is putting recycling under strain

"Each bucket holds between 40 and 50 devices, and over the course of a shift, she gets through about half a bucket. Using a hammer, she has to smash each vape open, pry out the batteries and separate each component into a different container. Single-use vapes were banned in June last year, but more than 6m vapes and vape pods are still being discarded every week in the UK."

"Waste management companies say the sheer volume is straining recycling systems, while hidden lithium-ion batteries inside the devices are causing fires. As Ana works, a burst of sugary scent fills the air; she doesn't worry about the vapes exploding, she says, it's never happened to her yet. But while vapes may not be hazardous at this stage of the sorting, they can become dangerous when crushed or damaged, such as during waste collection and storage."

"Suez says vapes are suspected as the cause of more than 80% of the reported fires at its sites last year. In 2025, there were 670 fires at Suez's UK sites. Of those, 368 were confirmed to be caused by batteries or vapes, with a further 176 suspected to be linked."

"Those working at the sites say people simply do not understand that vapes cannot be thrown away, or think wrongly that they can be recycled alongside household products. Instead, they need to be taken to dedicated electrical recycling points. Vapes were suspected as the cause of over 80% of the reported fires across our sites last year, with the numbers and trend continuing so far in 2026."

Ana, a site operative at a non-ferrous sorting station in a recycling plant near Birmingham, dismantles vape devices as part of her job. Each bucket contains 40 to 50 vapes, and she processes about half a bucket per shift by smashing devices open, removing batteries, and separating components into different containers. Single-use vapes were banned in June last year, yet millions of vapes and pods are still discarded weekly in the UK. Waste management companies report that volume strains recycling systems, while hidden lithium-ion batteries cause fires. Vapes can become dangerous when crushed or damaged during waste collection and storage, and Suez links them to most reported fires at its sites.

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