More than 20m vapes in Ireland not recycled last year

More than 20m vapes sold last year in Ireland were not returned for recycling.

The devices contain lithium batteries, plastic, and electrical parts that are not being recycled in the vast majority of cases.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Ireland has also warned that vapes, which shouldn’t be binned, pose nvironmental and fire risks.

In the 20 counties in which WEEE operates, it found that just 6% of used vape and e-cigarette devices came back for recycling. 

In those counties, only 1.4m of the 25m vapes sold last year had been returned. WEEE said the actual figure would be higher when other counties were considered and if accounting for illegal vape imports and unregulated sellers.

Awareness is low

The recycling scheme’s chief executive, Leo Donovan, said awareness of correct disposal for vapes — which are covered by a free e-waste and battery takeback system — is low.

“Responsibility sits with every vape user to dispose of these products correctly and safely after use,” he said.

“Recycling them for free has never been easier, with thousands of WEEE Ireland blue battery boxes available at supermarkets, newsagents, electrical retailers, and local authority recycling centres nationwide.”

The devices contain critical raw materials, such as lithium, copper, and cobalt, that can be recovered and reused in manufacturing.

“When thrown in the bin, those valuable resources are lost. There is also a very real fire risk when battery-powered products, such as vapes, become crushed or damaged during waste collection and processing.”