Vapes are not only dangerous to health but can be even more hazardous after discarding.
Highlighting the concern, a major waste firm in UK has warned that wrongly discarded vapes are causing fires in piles of rubbish or waste trucks and wastes dumps, even after six months of banning disposable vapes.
Firm named Suez, which runs more than 300 waste management sites around the UK, said it had seen nearly 339 fires this year (more than one a day) because of wrong disposals of vapes, which is putting workers in danger-causing damage worth millions of pounds.
The firm explained that vapes contain lithium batteries which can catch fire if crushed or damaged in waste stream.
Chief officer sustainability and external affairs, Suez, Adam Read said “six months after the ban, vapes are still an all-too-common sight dumped on the street, in bins and at recycling centres across the country.”
Vapes should not be put in general waste or recycling, but disposed of in specialized recycling bins, which can be found in shops or recycling centres.
"The ban was an important first step, but the reality is it has proved to be a sticking-plaster solution to the mountain of vapes that end up in our rubbish every day."
Another waste firm, Biffa in September 2025, also warned that despite the ban, it had seen more vapes being incorrectly thrown away, causing more fire than before.
While the Independent British Vape Tradition Association IBVTA, informed that the number of vapes sold had halved since the ban was imposed, but it also suggested greater consumer education about disposing them responsibly.
The firms informed that single-use vapes are still being sold illegally and contributing to the waste problem.
As reported by BBC, the government announced a crackdown on retailers selling illegal vapes with the threat of £10,000 fines and prison sentences.
Additionally, the government spokesperson said, “We’re working with Trading Standards and local authorities to enforce the ban and have made it compulsory for all vape retailers to provide recycling bins with 10,500 takeback bins introduced in UK stores since April 2025.”
Referring to the situation, Suez called for a more ambitious plan to tackle the fire risk and environmental damage from cheap throwaway vapes, such as nationwide recycling scheme paid for by producers.
Single-use vapes are ban in the UK that came into force on 1 June 2025.The rule was applied to all instore and online selling products keeping in view, the adverse effects of vaping.
Dangers of vaping is link to both health, as well as environmental safety concerns.
• Health effects of vaping or e-cigarettes include lung damage and worsening asthma. Some vape consumers may also regularly experience shortness of breath.
• Consuming nicotine in vapes or e-cigarettes becomes highly addictive to the brain, causing a number of neurological issues, including anxiety and depression on a daily basis.
• Vaping also negatively affects cognitive thinking and increases the risk for heart diseases.
• Other health issues involve impotency and insomnia.
• Environmental risks include safety concerns for fire risks, as these vapes often explode after discarding, putting others in danger.
• Other effects involve exposure to harmful chemicals that leads to toxicity, plastic, and chemical pollution.
• Disposable vapes are particularly adding e-waste to the environment, making them difficult to recycle properly-adding visual pollution to surroundings.
