More than 6m vapes and pods discarded weekly in UK despite single-use ban, study finds

More than 6m vapes and vape pods are still being discarded every week in the UK, with waste management companies warning the sheer volume continues to strain recycling systems despite the ban on disposable e-cigarettes.According to research by the recycling campaign group Material Focus, the 6.3m vapes and pods thrown away each week in 2025 represented a 23% reduction from the previous year.This suggests the ban on sales of single-use vapes that came into effect on 1 June 2025 has had an impact on levels of waste, alongside a 31% drop in the number of vapes bought each week.However, the volume of waste is still creating problems. The waste management company Veolia told Material Focus it had roughly one fire a day across its vehicles and facilities, probably as a result of hidden lithium-ion batteries, while Biffa reported receiving more than 200,000 incorrectly recycled vapes in its mixed collections every month.More than 1bn vapes have been thrown away over the past four years, Material Focus found. Its study, conducted with Opinium, also showed that nearly half of vapers (47%) were unaware that their devices could be recycled.A sample of 1,000 people over 16 years old who have bought a vape since 1 June 2025 were involved in the research. The results were weighted to be representative of the UK population.Scott Butler, the executive director of Material Focus, said the “vapocalypse continues” as battery fires rose across the UK. He said the tobacco and vapes bill progressing through parliament was an opportunity for change and suggested proposed licensing for vape sellers should mandate in-store recycling.“It should be as easy to recycle a vape as it is to buy one,” Butler said. “It is a longstanding legal obligation for all of the stores who are profiting from selling them to offer safe recycling drop-off points and cover the costs of doing that. Vape producers and importers should then cover the costs of recycling.”Because vapes are powered by lithium-ion batteries, improperly binned devices that are then crushed or damaged can spark dangerous fires in bin lorries and recycling centres.There is no specific data collection for lithium battery-related fires in England and Wales. In Scotland, according to the latest freedom of information data from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, there were 69 lithium battery-related fires in 2025, compared with 20 in 2019, with last year’s figures including 10 house fires, two in hospitals and three in prisons. According to data going back to 2009, there have been no related fatalities in Scotland.The incorrect disposal of these batteries, which should not be thrown into an ordinary bin but can be recycled in specific bins at many supermarkets, has resulted in serious fires in bin lorries and at recycling plants across the UK, the cost of which is estimated annually at more than £1bn, as well as causing injuries to staff.These incidents have also caused localised spikes in air pollution that breached World Health Organization limits, posing health risks to nearby communities.While the single-use ban has shifted the market toward rechargeable models, an estimated 2.2m single-use vapes are still bought each week, the research found.Purchases of standard rechargeable vapes have also declined by 28%, falling from 6.3m a week in 2024 to 4.5m last year. This drop has probably been offset by the rising popularity of high-capacity “big puff” rechargeables, which offer several thousand puffs compared with the older 600-puff models, as well as the wider availability of refill pods.Material Focus is calling for a comprehensive, widely accessible take-back solution paired with a large-scale public awareness campaign. The group is urging clearer recycling instructions on vape packaging and highly visible in-store collection points, arguing that this should be a core requirement of any proposed retail licensing system.A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “Single-use vapes get kids hooked on nicotine and blight our high streets – it’s why we’ve taken action and banned them.“Rogue traders will face serious penalties. Those who show a blatant disregard for the rules and reoffend face unlimited fines or jail time.“We are determined for more vapes to be recycled, and have made it compulsory for all vape retailers to provide recycling bins.”