James Wallace, Group Fire Safety Manager at Biffa, argues that the need for a deposit return scheme (DRS) for vapes is more urgent than ever.
OPINION: Analysis of samples from four of our busiest MRFs shows an estimated 480,000 vapes entered those facilities in June and July – the highest number we’ve ever recorded.
That’s nearly half a million lithium-ion batteries, each presenting a potential fire risk if damaged.
And when you consider we operate additional sites across the UK, as do other waste firms, the true number of vapes entering the nation’s waste stream is far higher.
In fact, research by Material Focus shows more than six million vapes and pods are thrown away each week alone.
I’ve worked in fire safety for many years, and few challenges have escalated as quickly or as dangerously as the risks created by these incorrectly discarded vapes.
Workers at MRFs, transfer stations and landfill sites, and those who drive and load bin lorries, are increasingly on the frontline of a fire crisis driven by vapes being thrown where they don’t belong – in the bin.
Official figures show there were more than 1,200 battery related fires in refuse vehicles and waste facilities over a 12-month period between 2023 and 2024.
But despite growing awareness of the dangers and the ban on single use vapes, huge numbers continue to be thrown away incorrectly.
When discarded in general waste, recycling and litter bins, they can be crushed, punctured or damaged during collection and processing – with devastating consequences.
A damaged lithium-ion battery can enter thermal runaway, generating flames that burn at very high temperatures. Surrounded by tonnes of dry cardboard, plastic and paper, we’ve all seen what happens next.
For some outside the industry, a waste fire may feel like an operational inconvenience. It isn’t.
Every fire has the potential to put people at risk, disrupt local services, damage millions of pounds’ worth of infrastructure and divert resources away from improving recycling and waste management. At a time when the UK is moving towards a circular economy, this infrastructure is fundamental to that ambition.
The industry is investing heavily to protect against the risk. At Biffa, we continue to strengthen our fire detection, monitoring and suppression systems, while working with fire and rescue services to train frontline colleagues to respond quickly and effectively when incidents occur.
But there is a limit to what technology and training can achieve. We cannot simply engineer our way out of a problem that starts in people’s homes. Delivering the biggest impact of all lies in the hands of consumers to do the right thing: please never put a vape in the bin.
The only safe way to currently dispose of vapes is by taking them back to the shop, to a household waste recycling centre or to another dedicated collection point. Yet vast numbers are still ending up in the bin.
Whether that’s down to confusion, convenience or a lack of awareness, the result is the same: more vapes in bins means more fires. If we want different results, we need different interventions.
That is why I fully support the industry’s call for the introduction of a deposit scheme for vapes.
The principle is simple. Consumers would pay a small deposit – the cost of which would be decided by consultation – when purchasing a vape and get that money back when they return it to the retailer for safe recycling.
The success of other deposit schemes around the world shows that people respond when there is a clear incentive to return products rather than throw them away. Given the scale of the fire risk posed by vapes, the case for applying the same principle here is compelling.
A vape deposit scheme should sit alongside clearer disposal labelling, stronger producer responsibility measures and sustained public education.
Because when nearly half a million vapes enter just four recycling facilities in two months, we should stop pretending this is simply an awareness issue. It is now a public safety issue.
We know what the problem is. We know how damaged batteries can start fires. We know what needs to change.
The question is how much more evidence is needed before decisive action is taken.
Interested in learning more about vapes and waste fires? The letsrecycle.com Fire and Health & Safety Conference will be held in London on 21 October 2026. Find out more and buy tickets here.
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