You may already have battery boxes, general recycling and an established waste contractor. Adding another collection point can feel like an unnecessary extra.
The more useful question is not simply, “Do we need another bin?” It is: where are used vapes and batteries going now, and is that route clear to the people using our site?
That matters because used vapes are electrical waste and need an appropriate recycling route. Material Focus reported in March 2026 that more than 6.3 million vapes and pods were still being thrown away or recycled incorrectly every week in the UK. Its research also found that 47% of surveyed vapers did not know that vapes could be recycled, while 80% said there was not enough information on how to recycle them. (Material Focus)
If your organisation is reviewing its arrangements, start with the process you already have rather than assuming you automatically need another collection point.
How should businesses dispose of used vapes and batteries?
Start by establishing what you are collecting and where it currently goes.
For organisations in England and Wales, the waste duty of care requires waste holders to take reasonable steps to keep waste safe, store it securely to prevent its escape, describe it accurately and transfer it only to someone authorised to take it. The guidance also recognises that batteries and waste electrical and electronic equipment can require particular handling. (GOV.UK — Waste duty of care)
Used vapes are electrical items. For a workplace, school, healthcare estate, university or other organisation, the practical first step is to confirm with your waste contractor how complete vapes, removable batteries and other relevant electrical waste should be collected and presented.
Vape retailers have additional responsibilities. GOV.UK states that businesses selling vapes must offer take-back for returned vapes and vape parts, and that vapes should be placed in vape bins and collected regularly for recycling. (GOV.UK — Recycling vapes)
For organisations outside England and Wales, the relevant national waste requirements should also be checked.
Can vapes go in general waste or mixed recycling?
No. Used vapes should not be placed in general waste or mixed recycling. They contain batteries and electrical components which can be damaged during collection and processing and pose a fire risk. (Recycle Your Electricals)
Recycle Your Electricals advises that vapes and pods should be recycled separately from general rubbish and recycling. The Office for Product Safety and Standards also advises users not to put vapes in general waste or household recycling. (Recycle Your Electricals; OPSS — Vape safety toolkit)
For facilities and estates teams, the important question is whether that separate route is obvious to the people using the site. If the nearest clearly labelled option is a general waste bin, the disposal route may not be clear enough.
Can vapes go in a battery recycling bin?
Not automatically. A complete vape is an electrical device, not simply a loose battery.
Recycle Your Electricals advises that where a battery can be removed from a vape, it should be recycled separately. Where the battery cannot be removed, the whole device should go through an appropriate electrical recycling route. (Recycle Your Electricals)
For an organisation managing workplace or commercial waste, do not assume that an existing battery container is suitable for complete vape devices. Check what the container and your waste contractor are set up to accept.
That simple check may show that your existing arrangement already works. Or it may highlight a gap.
Deciding whether you need a dedicated collection point
A dedicated collection point should solve a real collection problem. The right arrangement depends on what is happening on your site.
A smaller workplace finding an occasional vape may have a very different requirement from a larger or multi-building site dealing with higher volumes. What matters is whether your current system is clear and proportionate.
If you already have an agreed electrical waste route, people know where to use it and somebody is responsible for checking and arranging collection, a separate collection point may add little.
If vapes and batteries are regularly turning up in general waste, being left in different areas or appearing across several buildings, a clearly identified collection point may make the process easier to manage.
Before deciding on a collection point, consider where it would be positioned, how visible and accessible it needs to be, and whether its capacity matches expected use and collection frequency. (Firechief® — Safer collection guide, available on the FVB1 page)
Where the FVB1 fits into the collection process
Where a dedicated collection point is appropriate, the Firechief® FVB1 Fire-Protected Vape & Battery Disposal Bin has been developed to provide a clearly identified collection point for used vapes and batteries that helps mitigate the inherent fire risk from lithium-ion batteries. (Firechief® — FVB1 product information)
The unit uses a high-grade British steel enclosure and accepts a standard UN-approved 30-litre recycling barrel directly. The internal barrel can be removed without transferring loose vapes and batteries into another container. (Firechief® — FVB1 product sheet; Firechief® — FVB1 collection system)
Understanding the FVB1’s fire protection
“Fire-protected” does not mean “fireproof”, and the FVB1 does not remove all fire risk.
The FVB1 incorporates an automatic fire suppression system as part of its design. PyroFlow™ Active granules release automatically on detection of a thermal event, helping to contain and suppress a fire inside the bin. (Firechief® — FVB1 product sheet)
Fire protection is only one part of a managed collection process. Appropriate siting, regular checks, clear ownership and an agreed onward recycling route still matter.
Managing collection and onward recycling
The FVB1 is a collection point, not the final destination for the waste.
Your organisation still needs an agreed route for onward recycling. For organisations in England and Wales, the waste duty of care requires waste to be transferred to an appropriately authorised person and accurately described when it is transferred. (GOV.UK — Waste duty of care)
Before introducing or changing a collection system, confirm with your waste contractor what they will accept, how they want the material presented and how often it will be collected.
Once a collection point is in place, make responsibility clear. Decide who checks it, what happens when it is full and who arranges onward collection. For multi-building estates, a consistent process across locations can make the system easier to manage. (Firechief® — Safer collection guide, available on the FVB1 page)
The starting point is your current process
A dedicated vape and battery collection point is not something every organisation needs simply because vapes and batteries exist.
Once you understand your current arrangements, decide whether your existing system is doing the job or whether a dedicated collection point would make the process clearer and easier to manage.
If you are reviewing vape and battery collection across one site or several, speak to the Firechief® team. We can discuss what you are collecting, expected volumes, proposed locations, fixing and branding requirements, and whether the FVB1 is appropriate for your application.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is provided for general guidance only. Product performance is based on the stated test conditions and should not be taken as a guarantee that a fire cannot occur. The FVB1 should form part of a wider fire safety and waste management process, including appropriate risk assessment, inspection, handling procedures and compliant onward disposal.
Sources
- Material Focus: 6m vapes and pods are thrown away every week despite the vape ban, 27 March 2026.
- GOV.UK: Waste duty of care: code of practice — England and Wales.
- Recycle Your Electricals: Recycle Vapes.
- GOV.UK: Single-use vapes ban: information for businesses — recycling and take-back.
- Office for Product Safety and Standards: Vapes safety campaign stakeholder toolkit, 2026.