VAPERS in Warwickshire are being urged to dispose of their single-use vapes safely.
The plea follows a number of fires at at household waste recycling centres across the country.
With the rise in vaping, it is now estimated around 1.3million single-use vapes are thrown away each week in the UK with many discarded by the roadside or thrown into general waste.
Single-use vapes contain lithium-ion batteries which can catch fire if broken. This is an increasing problem, and recent research found more than 700 fires in bin lorries and recycling centres were caused by batteries that had been dumped into general waste.
Although household waste recycling centres in Warwickshire have not yet experienced any fires caused by vapes, there has been a marked increase in the number of single-use vapes being disposed of at centres, which has prompted Warwickshire County Council to issue advice to residents.
What should residents do?
Residents are firstly encouraged to opt for rechargeable vapes which are far better for the environment as they last much much longer.
For residents who have non-rechargeable single use vapes to be disposed of, these should be taken to the following locations:
* Local Household Waste Recycling Centres in the county all of which have designated containers for vapes, where single use vapes can be disposed of.
* Most large supermarkets and some large shops have special bins by the checkouts and/or entrances and exits where batteries, including single use vapes, can be disposed of safely.
WCC environment spokeswoman Coun Heather Timms said: “It’s really important that our residents think very carefully about how they dispose of single use vapes and batteries. Something as tiny as a battery can lead to a great deal of damage and disruption to waste processing services when they are disposed of incorrectly.”
Visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/waste-recycling to find out more about household waste recycling in Warwickshire.
