'Cheap' vapes causing fires despite disposable ban, says waste firm

A major waste firm says “cheap” vapes which have been incorrectly discarded are still causing fires despite a ban on single-use vapes.

SUEZ, which operates more than 300 waste management sites across the UK, has reported 339 fires from batteries or vapes at its collections and waste facilities this year.

29 of those fires occurred in vehicles, equating to more than one fire a day.

A fire which took hold in the Altens East material recovery facility in Aberdeen in 2022 required 100 firefighters to extinguish it after three days.

The ban on disposable vapes came into force in the UK in June. Adobe Stock

SUEZ reported 339 fires from batteries or vapes at its collections and waste facilities this year. SUEZ

It is suspected to have been caused by a lithium-ion battery that was incorrectly disposed of.

The Independent British Vape Tradition Association (IBVTA) said that the number of vapes sold had halved since the ban was imposed.

However, the body said there was a need for greater consumer education about disposing of them responsibly.

The Scottish Government said earlier this year it is estimated that over half of disposable vapes are incorrectly disposed of each year in Scotland.

The ban on disposable vapes came into force in the UK in June in a bid to curb sales to children and reduce the number of vapes being tossed away.

Dr Adam Read MBE, Chief Sustainability and External Affairs Officer at SUEZ, said: “Six months after the introduction of the Single-use Vapes Ban, vapes are still an all-too-common sight dumped on the street, in bins and at recycling centres across the country.

“The ban was an important first step, but the reality is it has proved to be a sticking plaster solution to the mountain of vapes which end up in our rubbish every day.

“It is clear that people are still treating cheap vapes as disposable.

“These are powered by lithium-ion batteries which, when improperly disposed of, become a serious fire hazard for waste disposal teams in collection trucks and at sorting facilities.

“Dangerously discarded batteries have continued to cause fires at SUEZ’s sites, putting our frontline teams in danger and causing millions of pounds in damage.

“We need a much more ambitious plan to tackle the environmental damage and fire risk from cheap, throwaway vapes.

“For example, the Government requires producers to bear the responsibility for material recycling costs.

“A similar approach with vapes, where producers pay towards a nationwide battery recycling scheme, would reduce both the amount which end up in household rubbish and the costs local councils are forced to pay for collection.”

Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy Gillian Martin said earlier this year: “Scotland was the first nation in the UK to commit to taking action on single-use vapes.

“It’s estimated that over half of disposable vapes are incorrectly disposed of each year in Scotland – creating a fire risk and littering our beautiful environment. They also contain nicotine, which is highly addictive.

“This change to the law fulfils a Programme for Government commitment and will help tackle the threat that single-use vapes pose to our environment as well as to our public health.

“We have worked closely across the four nations to ensure a consistent approach to a ban on the sale and supply of single-use vapes and will continue to work with regulators regarding enforcement once in force.”