Suez says vapes causing more than one fire a day in its facilities and trucks
Six months after disposable e-cigarettes were banned, improperly disposed of e-cigarettes are still causing fires in rubbish trucks and waste sites, a major waste firm has warned.
Suez, which operates more than 300 waste management facilities across the UK, said it had seen 339 fires this year – more than one a day – endangering workers and causing millions of pounds worth of damage.
Electronic cigarettes contain lithium batteries that can catch fire if crushed or damaged in the waste stream.
The independent British Electronic Cigarette Trade Association (IBVTA) said the number of e-cigarettes sold had halved since the ban but called for greater consumer education on how to dispose of them responsibly.
The UK’s ban on disposable e-cigarettes came into force on June 1, with the aim of restricting sales to children and reducing the number of devices thrown away or improperly disposed of.
Adam Read, head of sustainability and external relations at Suez, which deals with waste for 50 local councils, said that six months on “it’s still very common to see e-cigarettes being dumped on the streets, in bins and in recycling centers across the country”.
“The ban was an important first step, but the reality is that it has proven to be the plaster solution to the mountain of vapes that end up in our garbage every day.”
Electronic cigarettes should not be thrown into general waste or recycling, but should be placed in special recycling bins that can be found in stores or recycling centres.
But Suez and Biffa said people still treat reusable e-cigarettes as disposable and throw them away after one or two uses.
In September, other waste company Biffa It warned at the time that although the ban had been in place for three months, more e-cigarettes than ever before were being accidentally thrown away, causing more fires.
Some manufacturers offer products that are very similar to the most popular disposable vape models, come in similar packaging, and sell for similar prices.
However, since they have a recharge port and a replaceable tank for nicotine-containing liquid, they are considered reusable and can be sold legally.
Additionally, disposable e-cigarettes are still sold illegally and contribute to the waste problem. Last month, the government made a statement. Pressure on retailers selling illegal electronic cigarettesWith the threat of a £10,000 fine and imprisonment.
Suez has called for a more ambitious plan to tackle the fire risk and environmental damage from cheap disposable e-cigarettes, such as a nationwide recycling scheme paid for by manufacturers.
IBVTA president Marcus Saxton said 7.2 million rechargeable and refillable devices were sold in October, compared to 16.2 million disposable e-cigarettes sold per month last year before the ban, according to figures from Nielsen IQ.
The company said it “appreciates this action but also recognizes the continued need for more consumer education on how to responsibly recycle both used disposable devices purchased pre-ban and refillable devices that have reached the end of their useful life.”
Doncaster Council now offers kerbside collections for e-cigarettes and household batteries, making it easier for residents to recycle them and reducing the number of mishandled items.
A government spokesman said: “Disposable e-cigarettes are making children addicted to nicotine and devastating our high streets, which is why we’ve cracked down and banned them.
“We are working with Trading Standards and local authorities to enforce the ban and have made it mandatory for all e-cigarette retailers to provide recycling bins, with 10,500 take-back bins introduced in UK stores since April.”
