A recent trial by waste operator Levenseat revealed that 5,000 vapes are found amongst 50 tonnes of sweepings and gully waste.
The council provides specialised drums at all household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) for the safe storage of vapes and e-cigarettes before they are transported to Veolia in Portsmouth for recycling.
It has said that any removal batteries from vapes can be recycled separately in battery recycling receptacles. Vapes can also be taken to take-back points at retail outlets.
Veolia rolled out the UK’s first nationwide vape collection service in April last year and can recover 94% of all the materials inside of them.
Chair of the Aberdeenshire council’s Infrastructure Services Committee (ISC) councillor Alan Turner said: “It is alarming how fast the rise of single use vapes has been. When we think about all the precious materials that are used to create them, just for them to be thrown away on our streets, it must surely be the truest meaning of e-waste.”
ISC vice chair councillor, Isobel Davidson, added: “If you must buy vapes, please recycle them responsibly. When vapes are thrown away, the consequences are always felt by others. They damage our environment, cause fires in our waste streams, and place a significant financial burden on those who must clean up the mess.”
A ban on the sale and supply of single use vapes in Scotland is due to come into effect on 1 April 2025, under proposed legislation published on 23 February 2024 – for which Aberdeenshire council voiced its support back in June of 2023.
If you want to find out more about fire safety and prevention, make sure you attend the Fire Prevention and Control Conference 2024 in Birmingham on 13 November 2024. See the full agenda and book tickets here.
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