How To Recycle Vapes: A Step-by-Step Guide
As the popularity of vaping continues to rise, so does the responsibility of disposing of vape products properly. Single-use vapes and e-cigarettes contain various components that can be harmful to the environment if not disposed of properly. Recycling them is essential to reduce waste and recover valuable materials. Here’s how you can contribute to a healthier planet by recycling your vapes!
1. Understand What Needs to Be Recycled
Single-use vapes consist of several components that need to be disposed of separately, including:
Lithium-ion batteries: These can be hazardous and cause fires if they are discarded in recycling bins or waste bins. It is believed that most fires in the waste collection and recycling industry are caused by lithium batteries. One incorrectly discarded vape could cause huge damage or serious injury.
Metal & plastic parts: These materials can be recycled but need to be separated by hand.
E-liquid cartridges: Often made of plastic, these cannot be recycled currently due to environmental rules caused by the risk of contamination from the nicotine liquid. They should never be thrown away in your household bins. Do not try and break up the vapes at home or at work as this can be dangerous as the nicotine can enter your body through contact with your skin.
2. Find Out Where to Recycle Your Vape
Fortunately, new regulations and initiatives are making it easier for consumers to recycle their used vapes. One of the most effective methods is returning them to retailers for responsible recycling. Here’s how you can do it, along with other available options.
a. Find Your Nearest Vape Recycling Location
If you’re not sure where to return vapes or e-cigarettes, there are tools available to help you find the nearest recycling point. The Recycle Your Electricals website offers a handy locator tool to find the nearest drop-off points for vapes and other electronics.
Visit Recycle Your Electricals: Simply enter your location, and the tool will provide a list of nearby recycling points where you can drop off your used vapes.
Incentives for Recycling: Some retailers offer incentives, such as discounts or loyalty points, when you return your used vapes for recycling. Why not get rewarded for doing your bit to help the planet?
b. Return Your Vapes to Your Retailer
Under new regulations (1), retailers are now required to accept used vapes for recycling. This is part of a broader effort to ensure that harmful materials, such as lithium-ion batteries and plastic components, do not end up in landfills or cause damage through fires. Participating retailers, convenience stores, vape shops, and larger retailers now have collection bins specifically for vape recycling. Simply bring your used devices to a participating store, and they will handle the rest, free of charge and you don’t even need to buy a new vape when you do it!
c. GAP Group Collection Tubes
For businesses or larger organizations, GAP Group offers a range of vape collection solutions. These collection tubes are designed to safely store used vapes until they can be collected for recycling. Whether you’re a retailer, a public location, or a workplace, these collection tubes can be an effective way to manage vape waste responsibly.
What happens next?...
Once vapes have been collected for recycling, they are safely and compliantly transported to our facility. Once here, we begin the process of dismantling the units, and extracting the materials, most of which can be put back into manufacturing.
Stage 1 - Hand Dismantling Your Vape
To properly recycle a vape, we separate the components which requires them being dismantled by hand. We start by carefully opening the vape. Depending on the model, we use small tools to safely do this. Once opened, we remove the lithium-ion battery, and send this for correct processing by an Approved Battery Treatment Operator.
Stage 2 - Separating Metal & Plastic
After removing the battery, we separate the components, ensuring that any parts having have residue from e-liquids are sent for high temperature incineration. This is required by law due to the high risk to health of the liquids. The metal and plastics are then processed through our recycling plants.
Why Recycling Vapes Matters…
Recycling vapes is crucial for reducing electrical waste and preventing harmful chemicals from polluting the environment. By returning your vapes to retailers or using specialised collection tubes, you’re ensuring that these products are disposed of in a way that minimizes their environmental impact.
Staying informed about the best practices and encouraging friends and family to do the same, means that every vape recycled is a step towards a cleaner, healthier planet. The convenience of retailer take-back programs, along with the availability of GAP Group North East’s collection solutions, makes it easier than ever to recycle vapes responsibly.
Take advantage of these options to do your part today, for a better tomorrow.
