Retailers urged to responsibly dipose of illegal single-use vapes
06 June 2025 by CSG
Retailers left with stock of single-use vapes they can no longer sell must seek a responsible recycling method or risk hefty fines, a waste management specialist has warned.
A ban on single-use vapes came into effect on June 1, making it an offence to sell disposable devices in the UK.
Retailers have been told by the Government they must immediately label leftover stock as unsellable and find a solution for safe and responsible disposal, in compliance with Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations.
CSG Recovery, part of the CSG Group, can help businesses with legal disposal by working with partners to dismantle the vapes to their recoverable parts.
Greg Smith, Technical Manager at Blackburn-based complex waste experts CSG Recovery, said: “This new legislation means it is illegal for any retailer of any size to sell single-use vapes. If they do so they will run the risk of significant fines.
“If retailers have small amounts of stock, they may be able to dispose of them in the single-use vape bins they are legally required to provide in-store for customers.
“However, for larger quantities, a specialist waste company will need to be engaged for ethical, safe and legal clearance.
“We have vast experience in working with hazardous materials, including hundreds of thousands of vapes, and we are already working to help businesses with significant quantities.”
The ban addresses escalating environmental concerns, with nearly five million disposable single-use vapes thrown away each week according to research.
Greg said vapes are particularly hard to recycle due to the unique mix of hazardous materials.
“There’s the highly toxic nicotine, the electronic waste in the circuit board and the lithium battery, as well as the cardboard and plastic associated with the product,” said Greg.
“All of these parts, hazardous though they are, can be recycled and used again – but only if they can be safely separated into their individual components.
“The biggest challenge is removing any lingering solvent liquid nicotine from the vape. If it can be extracted, it can be processed and used to create energy – otherwise it must be incinerated.”
Lithium within vape batteries can be reused to make electric car batteries.
