Over 7,000 vapes a day were found in four Biffa sites between June and September 2025, data from the waste management company shows.
Between June and September, more than 840,000 vapes were found across the four sites in Teesside, Walsall, Ipswich and North London.
Vapes contain lithium-ion batteries, which, if punctured, crushed, or damaged, can trigger a process called thermal runaway, leading to dangerously high temperatures.
This means that when disposed of incorrectly in general waste or recycling bins, vape batteries can explode in bin lorries and at waste sites.
Data from Biffa provided to consumer safety charity Electrical Safety First shows batteries have caused more than 180 fires across the company’s UK estate since June.
Since the disposable vape ban came into force this summer, Biffa says it has seen an increase in all types of vapes across four of its major sites. Compared to June and July, Biffa found nearly 20,000 more vapes in these sites between August and September.
Commenting on the data, Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First, said: “Incorrectly disposing of a vape in the general household waste or recycling can have very real and frightening consequences for waste collection workers who are just trying to do their job.”
Luke Walter, manager of Biffa’s Aldridge materials recovery facility in Walsall, experienced an explosion at the site caused by an incorrectly disposed of vape with a lithium-ion battery.
“The fire here in January was particularly devastating,” Walter said. “The most important thing is that everyone went home safe and well, but, understandably, the immediate concern was job security.”
“The site is now fully operational again, and while we remain hyper-vigilant about fire risks, the danger will persist as long as batteries – lithium-ion or alkaline – hidden in small electrical devices such as vapes continue to be placed in general waste and recycling bins.”