Somerset Council, together with its waste contractor SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK, has issued an urgent warning about the risks posed by improperly discarded vapes. As vape use continues to rise, more devices are being thrown into general waste and recycling bins, creating dangerous conditions for collection crews and recycling centers.
The council stresses that when vapes end up compacted in refuse trucks, the batteries inside can ignite, potentially causing fires. To mitigate these risks, residents are urged to dispose of vapes carefully and separately from other recyclables.
Somerset Council requests that vapes—both reusable and single-use—be placed inside small, clear, tied bags such as sandwich bags. These bags should be left on top of recycling boxes, not mixed with other recycling materials or batteries. This makes vapes easily identifiable and prevents them from being crushed or mishandled.
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Councillor Richard Wilkins, Lead Member for Transport and Waste at Somerset Council, emphasized the importance of this practice: “With the number of vapes in use increasing, proper disposal is critical to protect our crews and the public. Batteries inside vapes can explode if crushed in regular waste, leading to serious fire risks.”
Philip De Wavrin, Senior Production Manager at SUEZ, added, “We are seeing an ever-growing volume of vapes at our facilities. Keeping them separate and bagged ensures the safety of our crews and recycling operations. We thank residents for their cooperation.”
Residents can also return vapes to the retailers they were purchased from for recycling.
A ban on single-use vapes will come into effect on June 1, 2025, though these products may remain in circulation for some time afterward.