Vape users are being urged not to throw old devices in bins as new figures reveal exploding “zombie batteries” are piling up in waste centres across the UK. The term refers to lithium-ion batteries that can “come back to life” when incorrectly disposed of, posing serious fire risks.
Biffa, the UK’s largest waste management company, reports that around 7,000 vapes a day enter its recycling and waste centres. Since the disposable vape ban came into force this summer, the company has seen an increase in vapes at four major sites in Teeside, Walsall, Ipswich and North London.
When crushed by lorries, the batteries can explode, causing fires that endanger workers, the environment, and equipment. Biffa data shows more than 180 fires across its UK estate since June alone. In one incident at Biffa’s Aldridge facility in Walsall, an exploding vape battery caused a fire that shut the site for six months, costing millions in repairs.
Between June and September, over 840,000 vapes were discovered at the four Biffa sites, with almost 20,000 more found in August and September compared to June and July. Experts warn that punctured batteries can undergo thermal runaway, reaching dangerously high temperatures and igniting ferocious fires.
Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First, said: “Incorrectly disposing of a vape in the general household waste or recycling can have very real and frightening consequences for waste collection workers.” The charity also warns that Halloween decorations with batteries can become hazardous if binned improperly.
