80,000 vapes discarded in Oxfordshire every week
That's the estimated number as new county wide recycling bins for e-cigarettes are launched.
Last updated 30th Nov 2023
The first public disposable vape bins in the UK are being rolled out across Oxfordshire.
Oxfordshire County Council, Cherwell District Council and Oxford City Council want to prevent the disposal of single-use vapes in litter bins, general waste or mixed recycling where they can contaminate other recycling and, in some instances, cause fires in bin trucks or waste facilities.This is one of more than 40 UK projects funded by Material Focus, the not for profit leading the Recycle Your Electricals campaign who have provided over £40,000 for Oxfordshire to be one of the first county councils to lead the way by recycling vapes.
The funding is part of a wider initiative to make it easier for 10 million UK residents to recycle their electricals.
Where will they be?
It's hoped eventually they'll be 60 new recycling collection points for vapes across Oxford, Banbury, Bicester and Kidlington.
Look out for the three-feet high, clear plastic tube vape recycling collection points. The tubes have bright pink recycle your vapes posters and images of vapes on the posters.
New public recycling bright pink bins at each of the seven household waste recycling centres in Oxfordshire.
Plus they'll be new separate kerbside collection for vapes in Cherwell.
Overall, there will be over 400 new collection points plus kerbside collections for 5.5 million UK residents.
Councillor Pete Sudbury, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment, said: “Partly because of their environmental impact, we would support a ban on the sale of disposable vapes and encourage reusable vapes where possible. However, while vapes are still being used and thrown away, this project will expand the range of services for residents to safely recycle them.”
Councillor Andrew McHugh, Portfolio Holder for Cleaner and Greener Communities at Cherwell District Council, added: “Cherwell District Council is always looking at developing ways to make it easier for residents to dispose of their waste appropriately and recycle more.
“We are pleased to offer residents the option to recycle disposable vapes in addition to other small electrical items at the kerbside. All residents need to do is place the vapes in a clear plastic bag on top of their blue or green bin on collection day, it’s important not to dispose of these items in the green or blue bins as the batteries can, and have, caused serious fires.”
Councillor Nigel Chapman, Oxford City Council's Cabinet Member for Citizen Focused Services and Council Companies, said: "One small act, like putting disposable vapes in general waste or recycling, can cause immense disruption, considerable damage to our collection vehicles, and create danger to the public and our operators.
"Only last summer we had a fire in one of our waste disposal vehicles that was probably caused by a discarded vape. It led to significant damage to the vehicle and inconvenience to the public.
"It’s important to dispose of vapes appropriately so that they can be properly treated and not cause a hazard.”
Scott Butler, Executive Director of Material Focus, said: “We are pleased to support ‘Recycle Your Vape’ as it will help address the pressing issue of vape waste. This project could be an example for other initiatives across the UK, to make it easier to recycle vapes by providing public recycling points. By investing in improved collection and drop-off services and exploring new recycling methods, we are taking a significant step towards creating a more sustainable future by making it easier for 10 million more people to recycle their electricals.”
To find your nearest recycling point search recycle your electricals or the council’s Waste Wizard search tool. Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.