Latest Vape News 19th Feb 2026 - Exploding Vape Batteries

Exploding Vape Batteries

Disposable vapes are being thrown away incorrectly in huge numbers, creating serious safety risks and costing the waste industry millions, according to recycling firm Biffa. A recycling facility in Aldridge said it is recovering thousands of wrongly-disposed vapes every month, warning that many people mistakenly believe they are safe to place in recycling or general waste.

Luke Walter, regional manager at the Biffa-run site, said a major fire in January 2025 was likely caused by a lithium battery from a vape that had been placed in a blue recycling bag. The blaze spread rapidly, taking just minutes to fill the building with smoke. The damage was severe enough to shut the plant down for six months while the site was rebuilt, after the fire destroyed vital electrical circuits.

Walter said incidents like this show how dangerous lithium batteries can be when crushed or damaged during waste processing. While staff at the Aldridge facility were evacuated safely and redeployed, he warned that other companies have not been as fortunate. Some competitors have lost facilities permanently, placing jobs and livelihoods at immediate risk.

Biffa said disposing of vapes correctly is expensive because they must be handled by specialist recyclers. Walter stressed that vapes should not be placed in household bins or recycling bags, but instead returned to the retailer where they were purchased.

He also noted a rise in vape disposal after a nationwide ban introduced in June last year, as many people had stockpiled products before the restrictions came into force.

Walter urged the public to think carefully before throwing away any items containing lithium batteries, including electric toothbrushes, phones and power banks. Fires caused by lithium batteries have already destroyed bin lorries and sparked major incidents at recycling centres across the West Midlands.

For the full story from BBC NEWS - click here