Kildare vapers urged: Never bin your vapes
To tackle the issue, WEEE Ireland has launched its “Never Bin Vapes” public awareness campaign
Kildare vapers are being urged to never bin their vapes, as only 1.4 million of the 25 million vapes sold last year in counties covered by Ireland’s largest e-waste recycling scheme were returned for recycling.
New figures from WEEE Ireland show an alarming 23.6 million devices were simply thrown away or dumped in household bins, meaning the lithium batteries, electrical parts and plastic they contain were lost forever.
Despite a vast network of free take-back facilities, just 6 per cent of used vape and e-cigarette devices were returned for recycling across the 20 counties where the scheme operates.
The organisation warned the true scale of careless vape disposal in Ireland could be even higher because of illegal vape imports and unregulated sellers.
To tackle the issue, WEEE Ireland has launched its “Never Bin Vapes” public awareness campaign, urging consumers to recycle disposable and rechargeable vapes correctly through its free take-back network.
“Our research shows a concerning low awareness of correct vape disposal and that vapes are part of the free e-waste and battery takeback system,” said Leo Donovan.
“As a result, millions of devices containing batteries, electrical components and plastics are ending up in the wrong places every year, despite knowledge of the serious environmental and fire risks.
“Responsibility sits with every vape user to dispose of these products correctly and safely after use. Recycling them for free has never been easier, with thousands of WEEE Ireland Blue Battery Boxes available at supermarkets, newsagents, electrical retailers and local authority recycling centres nationwide.”
New research commissioned by the organisation found that while nine in 10 adults understand battery-powered devices incorrectly thrown into household bins can be damaged in bin trucks or recycling facilities, causing fires, awareness drops sharply when it comes to vapes.
Only five in 10 adults recognise that incorrectly disposed vapes pose the same fire risk, falling further to just four in 10 among younger adults aged 18 to 30.
The Empathy Research study also found that half of 18 to 30-year-olds believe vapes can be thrown into general household waste or recycling bins, compared to just a fifth of those aged 56 and over.
“These devices contain critical raw materials such as lithium, copper and cobalt that can be recovered and reused in manufacturing, supporting the circular economy,” Mr Donovan said.
“When thrown in the bin those valuable resources are lost forever.
“There is also a very real fire risk if battery-powered products such as vapes become crushed or damaged during waste collection and processing.”
The campaign encourages consumers to recycle all disposable and rechargeable vapes for free wherever they see WEEE Ireland Blue Battery Boxes, available in thousands of locations nationwide.
The initiative comes at a critical moment for the sector, with regulations banning disposable single-use vapes and further regulation of vape retailers expected in the coming months.
More information and free drop-off locations are available from WEEE Ireland.