Put a £5 deposit on vapes to stop littering, say waste companies

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Put a £5 deposit on vapes to stop littering, say waste companies26 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleBen KingBusiness reporterGetty ImagesDisposable vapes were banned a year ago but some now want remaining 'loopholes' to be closedWaste companies have called for a deposit of up to £5 to be charged on vapes to encourage people to dispose of them properly. Disposable vapes were banned a year ago, partly because of the issues they cause for bin lorries and waste facilities when thrown away with general rubbish. But the industry body for waste companies says vape recycling has not improved enough, so a small, refundable deposit at the point of purchase is a "simple, fair, efficient and cost-neutral solution".

Some vape companies oppose the idea of a deposit scheme, saying it would encourage people to buy from illicit retailers who don't charge it. Under the Environmental Services Association's (ESA) proposal, a deposit would be charged on vapes when purchased, and returned to customers when they dispose of the vape properly. Vapes can already be returned to stores where they are purchased - which are meant to have facilities to take them back - or returned to recycling facilities.

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They should not be put in normal bins, general recycling, or littered in the environment. The ESA says a deposit would have to be large enough to incentivise people to dispose of vapes properly. Biffa, the UK's largest waste company, has put forward the figure of £5, but that would be subject to consultation if the idea progresses.

Patrick Brighty, ESA's head of recycling policy, said: "Despite the ban, each week operators across the waste sector continue to see hundreds of thousands of carelessly discarded vapes arrive at their facilities hidden among other waste, which poses a major fire risk. "Vapes discarded with other rubbish are also unlikely to be recycled, which is a chronic waste of the precious materials they contain. "He said the existing infrastructure to take back and recycle vapes was "currently underperforming" because of a lack of incentives for people to use it.

Vape ban isn't working, says waste firm bossThe Local Government Association (LGA) says the number of vapes thrown away each week has fallen since disposables were banned, but only from 8. 2 million per week to about six million. Some firms offer reusable vapes which are similar in size and price to popular disposable models, but added USB ports and reusable tanks make them qualify as reusable.

The LGA has called for these to be banned. Chairwoman of the LGA's health and wellbeing committee, councillor Dr Wendy Taylor, said year two of the ban must focus on enforcement and closing the "loophole" of these vapes. "A year on, the volume of vapes in our bins has dropped, but industry has moved faster than regulation – the products causing fires in our bin lorries today are effectively the same disposables in a different shell," she said.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.