A year on from the ban on disposable vapes, waste companies have called for a £5 deposit to be charged on vapes as an incentive to dispose of them properly.
As part of the proposals put forward by the Environmental Services Association (ESA), a deposit would be charged on vapes at the point of purchase and refunded when the customer returns the product to a collection point.
Biffa, the UK’s largest waste company, suggested the deposit should be £5, which is considerably higher than what will be charged as part of the UK’s deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers.
Under current legislation, retailers that sell vapes are legally required to offer a free in-store take-back service or recycling bin for used vaping devices. These points could be used by customers to redeem a deposit as part of a future scheme.
However, research by Material Focus found that 43% of people who tried to recycle their vape at a supermarket were unable to find a recycling point, and rising to 63% at local convenience stores, while this dropped to 33% at specialist vape retailers.
The environmental non-profit warned that a ‘retailer recycling lottery’ is undermining the environmental intentions behind the ban of disposable vapes, as recycling a vape is still not as easy as buying one.
In the year since the disposable vape ban was introduced on 1 June 2025, the number of vapes thrown away each week has decreased from 8.2 million to 6.3 million. However, the risk posed by improper disposal of these products remains.
Freedom of Information responses showed there were 1760 battery-linked fires in 2025, a 147% increase in just three years. This means UK fire brigades are tackling fires caused by a lithium-ion battery at a rate of once every five hours.
Local authorities are calling for a change to the definition of single-use vapes to close an ‘industry loophole’, reduce vape waste, and prevent dangerous bin lorry and waste fires.
The Local Government Association (LGA) wants the UK Government to tighten the statutory definition of a single-use vape to include disposable-style products, such as rechargeable options.
Cllr Dr Wendy Taylor MBE, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Health and Wellbeing Committee, commented: “The ban on single-use vapes was the right decision and councils continue to be strong supporters.”
“Year one of the ban has shown what regulation alone can achieve. Year two must focus on enforcement, producer responsibility, and closing this industry loophole to keep rechargeable vapes out of our waste system, preventing further fires and reducing unnecessary local resource drain.”
