Did you know? Where to dispose of disposable vapes and batteries
Disposable vapes and batteries thrown in bins have caused multiple fires in bin lorries. According to campaign group Recycle Your Electricals, there were more than 1,200 battery fires in bin lorries and waste sites across the UK last year. This puts all our amazing refuse collectors at serious risk of getting hurt and could damage nearby property.
Batteries of all shapes and sizes (from button cells found in watches to large power tool batteries) may contain hazardous components and can be a major fire hazard. They also contain heavy metals such as cadmium and zinc that can be toxic to the environment if not disposed of correctly.
Please do not put batteries and vapes in your household rubbish or recycling bin - this is dangerous!
Last year, one of the Biffa crews detected a fire in the back of their vehicle near Littlehampton station, which resulted in them having to empty the waste load onto the road so that the fire could be extinguished Bin lorry fire | Latest news | Arun District Council
Where can you safely dispose of vapes and batteries?
They can be if left out on collection day in a separate carrier bag next to your bin. Please do not place one or two batteries out for collection as there is a risk the bag could blow away, and for minimal use of plastic bags, please store batteries/vapes until you have enough to fill a sandwich bag and have it securely closed.
Batteries can also be disposed of at the recycling centres at either Littlehampton, Mill Road or Shripney Road, Bognor Regis, or a collection point in a supermarket, DIY centre or some local shops.
Single use vapes will be banned from 1 June 2025 Government crackdown on single-use vapes - GOV.UK
For the disposal other electrical items, read more here: Electrical recycling | Arun District Council. If batteries cannot be removed from a device, for example in vapes, calculators or laptops they should be disposed of at a recycling centre.