British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA) has said the UK government is “playing with fire” with its proposed vape swap-to-stop scheme.
Under new measures, councils and others are set to offer smokers across England a free vaping starter kit in a bid to drive down cigarette use.
But the BMRA say the scheme poses a fire risk because the current regulations for disposal of both single-use and rechargeable vapes are “often not being followed” and are leading to an increase in fires.
James Kelly, the CEO of the BMRA, commented: “Vapes are essentially small electronic devices and are subject to regulations when no longer required.
We also need to see a system for appropriate, on-the-go disposal of vapes being made available.
“However, the reality is that not enough of the public are aware of this and often throw vapes and other electronic items containing lithium-ion batteries in a bin, which, when damaged, are causing fires and can even explode.
Kelly said this is the reason why the BMRA is concerned about the scheme and believes Ministers are “playing with fire” with the policy. He continued that an awareness and education campaign is “urgently needed”.
He reiterated the BMRA’s call for a ban on lithium-ion batteries, as well as waste electrical and electronic equipment to be collected from curbside to increase ease of disposal for householders.
Kelly concluded: “We also need to see a system for appropriate, on-the-go disposal of vapes being made available. This will help to protect workers from fires and explosions caused by these batteries and ensure all component parts can be safely and properly recycled.”