20 Million Vapes Unrecycled in Ireland Last Year, WEEE Warns of Fire Risk

More than 20 million vapes sold in Ireland last year were not returned for recycling, according to recently released figures. These devices, which contain lithium batteries, plastic, and various electrical components, are largely failing to enter the established recycling system.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Ireland has issued a warning regarding the significant environmental and fire hazards posed by these un-recycled vapes, urging the public to refrain from disposing of them in general waste bins. Across the 20 counties where WEEE operates, only 6% of used vape and e-cigarette devices were collected for recycling. This translates to merely 1.4 million returns out of the 25 million vapes sold in those specific counties last year.

WEEE Ireland noted that the actual number of un-recycled vapes is likely higher, considering other counties and the prevalence of illegal vape imports and unregulated sellers not accounted for in their sales figures. Leo Donovan, chief executive of the recycling scheme, stated that research indicates a low public awareness regarding the proper disposal of vapes, despite their inclusion in a free e-waste and battery takeback system.

Mr. Donovan emphasized, «Responsibility sits with every vape user to dispose of these products correctly and safely after use.» He highlighted the ease of free recycling, with thousands of WEEE Ireland Blue Battery Boxes accessible at supermarkets, newsagents, electrical retailers, and local authority recycling centers nationwide. He further explained that vapes contain critical raw materials such as lithium, copper, and cobalt, which 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,» Donovan added.