Waste Firms Propose £5 Vape Deposit to Curb Bin Lorry Fires

Waste management companies are urging the government to implement a £5 deposit on disposable vapes, arguing that this financial incentive is necessary to ensure consumers dispose of the devices correctly. The push comes a year after the ban on disposable vapes was introduced, a measure partly driven by the significant fire hazards these devices pose in waste trucks and processing facilities when discarded with general trash.

According to the Environmental Services Association (ESA), the industry body representing waste companies, recycling rates for vapes have not improved sufficiently since the ban. Consequently, they argue that a small, refundable deposit added at the point of sale offers a "simple, fair, efficient and cost-neutral solution."

Under the ESA’s proposal, customers would pay the deposit when buying a vape and receive it back only when they return the device to a designated recycling point. While vapes can currently be returned to the stores where they were purchased—venues that are required to have take-back facilities—or to specialized recycling centers, they must never be placed in regular bins, general recycling streams, or the environment.

The risk is severe: when vapes are crushed in bin lorries or waste treatment plants, their lithium batteries can short-circuit due to the high energy density, potentially igniting fires. The ESA emphasizes that the deposit amount must be substantial enough to motivate proper disposal. Biffa, the UK’s largest waste firm, has suggested the figure be set at £5, though this amount remains open to consultation if the proposal moves forward.

Patrick Brighty, the ESA’s head of recycling policy, highlighted the ongoing danger. "Despite the ban, each week operators across the waste sector continue to see hundreds of thousands of carelessly discarded vapes arrive at their facilities hidden among other waste, which poses a major fire risk," he said. Brighty also noted that improperly discarded vapes are rarely recycled, resulting in a "chronic waste of the precious materials they contain." He attributed the underperformance of current take-back infrastructure to a lack of consumer incentives.

Carla Brian, public affairs and partnerships director at Biffa, told the BBC, "We want a consumer behaviour change... And we think an incentive is the way to do that."

Data from the recycling organization Material Focus indicates that weekly vape disposal has decreased since the ban, dropping from 8.2 million to approximately six million. However, new challenges have emerged. Some manufacturers produce reusable vapes that mimic the size and price of popular disposables but include USB ports and refillable tanks, allowing them to bypass the ban.

The Local Government Association (LGA) is calling for these specific models to be prohibited. Dr. Wendy Taylor, chair of the LGA’s health and wellbeing committee, stated that the second year of the ban must prioritize enforcement and closing this loophole. "A year on, the volume of vapes in our bins has dropped, but industry has moved faster than regulation – the products causing fires in our bin lorries today are effectively the same disposables in a different shell," she said.

The vaping industry has resisted the deposit scheme. Marcus Saxton, chairman of the Independent British Vape Trade Association, acknowledged that more effort is needed to encourage recycling but warned that a deposit would drive consumers toward illicit markets. "Those retailers that aren't abiding by their legal obligation won't do this, it won't be enforced, and ultimately consumers will go to that route to purchase which is a complete disaster," Saxton said. He noted that several illegal retailers currently operate by sourcing from the black market or ignoring legal requirements.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs did not directly answer questions regarding the refundable deposit. However, Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds stated that the government had taken "decisive action" to address the harm caused by vapes.

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-06-01 08:29:03 UTC