Where do Vapes and disposable e-cigarettes go?

Every disposable vape contains a small lithium cell that is welded in and cannot be removed by the user, which makes the whole device both electrical waste and battery waste. Binned vapes are the fastest-growing cause of fires in refuse trucks and at waste transfer stations, because the crush that compacts the load is exactly what shorts the cell. Retailers that sell vapes are required to take them back in the UK, and the ban on single-use vapes that came into force in June 2025 does not change what to do with the ones already in circulation. If your local shop has no bin, the household waste centre will have a small-electricals cage. Take-back obligations differ by country and by retailer, so check what applies where you are.

How to prepare it

1. Take the vape whole — do not try to prise the cell out.
2. Use a vape shop or supermarket take-back bin; they are obliged to accept them.
3. Refillable devices: remove the pod, then hand over the body.

What not to do

• Never put a vape in a household or street bin — this is the single commonest ignition source in modern bin lorry fires.
• Never drop one down a drain or leave it as litter; the cell corrodes and leaches.
• Never open a swollen or hot device.

Kerbside collection rules genuinely vary by council and county, and local rules always win over general guidance. The reasoning above is what transfers — if your service differs, it will usually be for a reason described here.

Other things that go to shop or manufacturer take-back

• Household batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, 9V) Battery collection point — a supermarket or DIY store box, or the household waste centre. Never the kerbside bin.
• Lithium-ion batteries Battery or WEEE collection point only. A lithium cell in a bin lorry is a fire, not a littering problem.
• Mobile phones Wipe it, then trade it in, donate it or hand it to an electricals take-back point.
• Disposable coffee cups Not the kerbside bin. Take them to a shop cup collection point, or general waste — the lid and sleeve recycle separately.
• Button and coin cells Battery collection point. Tape them first — and keep them away from small children until they go.
• Coffee pods and capsules Brand take-back scheme if aluminium; general waste for most plastic pods. Compostable ones need a food waste collection.
• Rechargeable batteries (NiMH, NiCd) Battery collection point. NiCd cells contain cadmium and are hazardous waste in most jurisdictions.
• Laptops and computers Wipe the drive, then donate, trade in or take it to WEEE recycling. The battery makes binning it a fire risk.
• Printer cartridges Manufacturer freepost return or a shop collection box. Not the kerbside bin.
• Tyres Tyre fitter or household waste centre, usually for a small fee. They are banned from landfill in the UK and EU.
• Power banks and portable chargers Small electricals collection or a battery take-back point. It is a lithium cell in a plastic shell.
• Propane and patio gas cylinders Back to the supplier or exchange point. Refillable cylinders are almost never yours to scrap.
• Bubble wrap and postal air pillows Soft plastics collection at a supermarket, or reuse it. Not the kerbside bin.
• Toys and gadgets with batteries inside Take the batteries out and deal with them separately; the toy then goes in small electricals. Sealed ones go in whole.