25,000 vapes recovered every month, estimates Aberdeenshire Council
The local authority is urging people to dispose of their vapes responsibly
It's thought around 25,000 vapes are being found on streets and in drains in Aberdeenshire every month.
The council says they are a fire risk and damage the environment, and the components, made of steel, aluminium, copper and lithium, are too valuable to waste.
Material from lithium could be used to produce batteries for electric cars.
Aberdeenshire Council is advising residents to use specialised drums at household recycling centres to store the vapes, before they’re transported for recycling.
A spokesperson for the local authority said: “For Recycle Week, it has been revealed that more than 25,000 vapes are likely swept up every month from Aberdeenshire’s streets and from within the drainage fittings on roads and highways.
“Vapes contaminate waste and recycling collections and the environment and should never be littered or put in any kerbside collection bins or battery bags.
“E-cigarettes pose a serious fire risk and are part of the fastest growing sources of electrical waste in the UK.
“Making vapes uses up some of the most valuable resources on the planet—steel, aluminium, copper, lithium—which makes recycling them even more important.
“Recycling 10 tonnes of lithium from these could supply enough material to produce batteries for around 1,200 electric cars.
“Specialised drums are available at all household recycling centres across Aberdeenshire to safely store vapes, or e-cigarettes, before they are transported to Veolia in Portsmouth for recycling.
“Veolia rolled out the UK’s first nationwide vape collection service and can recover 94% of all the materials inside of them.
“We ask that all visitors to our household recycling centres—or seasonal garden waste points—check the website prior to travelling in case of closure, a change in opening times, a need to book, and to see what can be recycled.”