NAWDO press release: Councils call for ban of disposable vapes.
Saturday 15th July 2023
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NAWDO is giving its support to the call from the Local Government Association (LGA) for a ban on disposable vapes in the UK, as set out in their press release issued this morning.
Aside from the clear health grounds, there is a major impact on waste management operations from, often irresponsibly, discarded vapes. Around 1.3 million disposable vapes[1] are thrown away in the United Kingdom each week with a significant number entering the municipal waste stream. These vapes are a hazard for collection crews, waste management facilities and its operatives due to the lithium batteries inside causing fires when pierced, damaged, or crushed.
An increasing number of fires in waste management facilities and collection trucks are caused by disposable vapes and other items containing lithium batteries within the waste. Aside from the environmental impact of waste related fires, it also causes significant disruption to waste services provided by NAWDO members. In addition, the financial cost of waste related fires to councils and the waste management industry is significant and increasing.
NAWDO supports a ban on the sale of disposable vapes, combined with a robust collection system under extended producer responsibility (EPR) to deal with those vapes that are still in circulation. NAWDO wants to work constructively with the government on this issue and would welcome the opportunity to engage further on the opportunities available to tackle this important issue.
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[1] Based on research by Material Focus published in July 2022: https://www.materialfocus.org.uk/press-releases/one-million-single-use-vapes-thrown-away-every-week-contributing-to-the-growing-e-waste-challenge-in-the-uk/
