Vapes still causing fires despite ban, major waste firm says

In June 2025, the UK banned throwaway vapes, but big waste management companies are still finding more fires caused by vapes.This shows that the public's safety and the environment are getting worse. SUEZ, which runs more than 300 recycling and trash collection sites in the UK, said that this year, people throwing away vapes or lithium-ion batteries the wrong way caused 339 fires. That means that, on average, there is more than one fire every day.Some of these things happened on garbage trucks or at sorting facilities, where batteries that were crushed or broken may explode and hurt workers, break equipment, and stop services.Waste companies believe that the ban on single-use vapes is a step in the right direction, but it hasn't solved the main problem because people are still throwing away vapes that can be used more than once. SUEZ's Adam Read and other professionals in sustainability have called the ban a "sticking-plaster solution" and said that the UK needs a more ambitious, systemic approach.

For example, companies should pay for recycling take-back programs to make sure that batteries and other equipment are thrown away in the appropriate way and not just thrown away.The ongoing issue reveals that there are broader problems, such as more electronic waste in regular trash cans, lithium-ion batteries that are hazardous for the environment, and more danger to workers and public services in the waste industry. It also shows where the rules might not be clear. It's nice that the law limits disposable vapes, but there's still a big risk of fire because it's impossible to keep an eye on them and people don't know how to put them away correctly. In short, even though the ban has been in place for months, vapes that were thrown away the wrong way are still starting fires in the UK's waste management system.This is a significant sign that laws by themselves can't protect people from the dangers of batteries and trash.