Monmouthshire warning follows disposable vapes found in household waste

Monmouthshire County Council has warned residents not to put vapes in household waste after recycling wardens found eight disposable devices in a single black bag.

In a 24 September update, the council said vapes contain lithium-ion batteries and can become a fire risk when crushed in collection vehicles or at waste and recycling sites. It added that Monmouthshire has previously had battery-related incidents affecting waste collection vehicles and Household Waste Recycling Centres.

The council’s message is especially relevant after the UK ban on single-use vape sales came into force in June 2025. Old or leftover devices still need safe disposal. A ban on selling disposables does not make used devices safe for a general bin.

What adult users should do

Reusable pod kits, failed batteries, pods with built-in coils and older disposable devices should be treated as electrical waste. Recycle Your Electricals says vapes should go through vape or electrical recycling routes, with batteries removed and recycled separately where that can be done safely. If the battery cannot be removed, the whole device should be recycled as electrical waste.

London Fire Brigade gives similar practical advice: vapes and e-cigarettes should not go in ordinary rubbish or household recycling because the battery may be damaged and start a fire. It advises using retailer take-back, household waste recycling centres or dedicated electrical recycling points.

For adult UK readers who have moved from disposables to refillable devices, this is a useful housekeeping reminder. Keeping old vapes in a drawer indefinitely is not ideal, but putting them in the bin is worse. Local council websites, retailer take-back bins and the Recycle Your Electricals locator are the sensible routes.