Over 23 million vapes disposed incorrectly

New figures show that 23.6 million vapes have been incorrectly disposed of in household bins.

The figures were released by Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Ireland and show that only 1.4 million of the 25 million vapes sold last year were returned for recycling.

This left 23.6 million vapes being simply thrown away or dumped in household bins.

Currently, free vape take-back facilities operate in 20 counties across the Republic of Ireland.

WEEE Ireland has said that the true scale of vape disposal in Ireland may be much higher due to illegal vape imports and unregulated sellers.

WEEE is launching a new public awareness campaign, called ‘Never Bin Vapes’, aiming to encourage people to recycle disposable and rechargeable vapes correctly.

Leo Donovan, CEO of WEEE Ireland, said: “Our research shows a concerning low awareness of correct vape disposal and that vapes are part of the free e-waste and battery takeback system.

“As a result, millions of devices containing batteries, electrical components and plastics are ending up in the wrong places every year, despite knowledge of the serious environmental and fire risks.

“As a result, millions of devices containing batteries, electrical components and plastics are ending up in the wrong places every year, despite knowledge of the serious environmental and fire risks.”

As well as the recent figures, WEEE Ireland commissioned research that found only five in ten adults recognised that incorrectly disposed vapes pose a fire risk through damage in facilities and in bin trucks.

Leo Donovan said: “These devices contain critical raw materials such as lithium, copper and cobalt that can be recovered and reused in manufacturing, supporting the circular economy.

“When thrown in the bin, those valuable resources are lost forever.

“There is also a very real fire risk if battery-powered products such as vapes become crushed or damaged during waste collection and processing.”