A refuse collector has warned UK households that two common items – vapes and batteries – must never be placed in recycling bins due to the fire risk they pose. According to Recycle Your Electricals, improper disposal of these products caused more than 1,200 fires in the UK last year.
Dangerous Items in Bins
"They can get crushed or damaged and spark dangerous fires in bin lorries and recycling centres," the company explains online. To protect the environment, residents can recycle dry paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, tubs, pots, drink cans, empty aerosols, glass bottles, and jars in their green bins.
However, binman Ashley, a waste collector who shares insights on TikTok, demonstrated that bins containing certain unrecyclable items will not be collected. He posted footage of himself inspecting a bin's contents, then returning to his lorry. His caption read: "When Karen has put vapes and batteries in her bin."
Battery and Vape Disposal Guidance
Regarding batteries, the government advises: "You can take most waste batteries to your local supermarket, or any other big shop nearby that sells over 32 kg of batteries a year." There should be a collection point for 'portable' batteries, including AAA, AA, 9V, button, and rechargeable batteries. The guidance adds: "Basically, all batteries apart from those designed for vehicles or industrial use can be dropped off for recycling this way. (The terminals of lithium batteries should ideally be taped up first, to prevent any risk of fire.)"
"The one exception is where the battery is part of the device and cannot be taken out, in items such as calculators and e-cigarettes. These need to be treated as electrical products."
For vapes, the government notes: "For the small number of single-use vapes which are sent for recycling, it’s a difficult job, because they contain many chemical components and are not designed to be taken apart. They usually have to be disassembled by hand - a slow and tricky process which struggles to match the avalanche of vapes that are produced and discarded." The lithium-ion batteries in these vapes can also cause fires, risking the safety of waste management workers, firefighters, and the public.
Public Reaction
Reacting to Ashley's TikTok, one user said: "There's been 4 fires at my partners work in the past few days due to vapes." Another remarked: "Anything like that, I take it to my local recycling centre." A third expressed frustration: "Can't seem to put nothing in your bin, need about 50 different bins and a college degree these days." A fourth added: "Just empty the bin bro... it's not that deep. I don't care as long as my bin is emptied... the explosion will be nowhere near me, so I'll sleep soundly."
