More than a year on from the ban on single-use vapes, the UK should be seeing a sharp decline in vape-related waste, litter and fire risk.
Instead, more than six million vapes are still being discarded incorrectly every week – many of them purchased from high street and grocery retailers that serve communities across the country.
The shift to rechargeable devices was well intentioned. But it has not solved the fundamental problem: disposal. Low price points, limited differentiation and convenience mean many consumers continue to treat these products as disposable in all but name. Vast volumes are still ending up in bins in homes and workplaces, creating a growing safety and environmental challenge for the waste sector and the communities retailers serve.
The consequences are serious. Vapes contain powerful lithium-ion batteries that can burst into flames, burning at around 800°C. when damaged or crushed by machinery in waste trucks and at recycling processing sites.
A clear solution, an unclear path
To help keep vapes out of bins, Biffa and the Environmental Services Association are calling for a mandatory UK-wide incentive scheme for vape returns. The principle is simple: a deposit of around £5 at the point of purchase, refunded when the device is safely returned via existing retailer takeback systems. Household waste recycling centres should be included too.
Our research shows 83% of vape users would use the scheme – removing millions of devices from the waste management system and out of harm’s way. Behaviour changes quickly when there is a clear financial reason to act.
So why has this not happened? In part, because responsibility is currently too diffuse. Regulations require retailers to offer takeback, but enforcement and visibility are inconsistent. Some retailers, including The Co-op, have worked with Biffa to roll out battery and vape takeback points, showing what is possible when the system is taken seriously. But across the market, provision remains patchy, poorly signposted and underused. Retailers operating on tight margins are understandably cautious about anything that adds cost or complexity.
Government has set a clear direction of travel, and mandatory takeback at stores that sell vapes is an important foundation. But a voluntary approach will not deliver the consistency or visibility needed to normalise returns – nor will it create the fair conditions needed for retailers to back the scheme with confidence.
The role of the retail industry
This is not just a call for government to act. Retailers have more influence over consumer behaviour than almost any other part of the system. By making takeback visible, prominent and easy – at checkout, at entrance points, and within store journeys – they can start to shift habits now. Grocers, convenience stores and wider high street brands all need to work towards a consistent, recognisable return network that customers can rely on wherever they shop.
Crucially, an effective incentive scheme would not add friction, it would unlock value. It would drive footfall back into stores, increase engagement with takeback infrastructure already in place and significantly reduce the fire risks associated with improper disposal, helping to protect staff, assets and supply chains.
Awareness is no longer the problem. Most consumers know vapes should not be thrown away. The gap is behavioural – and behaviour does not change without a clear trigger.
Without further action, the current trajectory is clear. The number of vapes in waste streams will remain high, fire incidents will keep rising, and the financial, environmental and human cost will continue to be borne by local authorities, businesses, waste operators and communities.
The sector has a choice: continue with a system that we know is not working or push collectively for one that does. A mandatory deposit scheme for vapes is not a radical idea – it is a practical solution whose time has come. The question is no longer whether we can afford to introduce it, but whether we can afford not to.
Carla Brian is director of public affairs & partnerships at Biffa
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