Number fell 23% year on year in 2025 but waste companies say recycling systems still under strain from sheer volume
More than 6m vapes and vape pods are still being discarded every week in the UK, with waste management companies warning the sheer volume continues to strain recycling systems despite the ban on disposable e-cigarettes.
According to research by the recycling campaign group Material Focus, the 6.3m vapes and pods thrown away each week in 2025 represented a 23% reduction from the previous year.
This suggests the ban on sales of single-use vapes that came into effect on 1 June 2025 has had an impact on levels of waste, alongside a 31% drop in the number of vapes bought each week.
However, the volume of waste is still creating problems. The waste management company Veolia told Material Focus it had roughly one fire a day across its vehicles and facilities, probably as a result of hidden lithium-ion batteries, while Biffa reported receiving more than 200,000 incorrectly recycled vapes in its mixed collections every month.
