What are they?
Vapes and e-cigarettes are electronic devices that simulates tobacco smoking but with fewer toxins, in lower amounts, than cigarette smoke. Each device consists of an atomizer, a power source such as a battery, and a container such as a cartridge or tank. Instead of smoke, the user inhales vapour. Vapes or electronic cigarettes can be single use or have rechargable batteries.
Why you should recycle your vapes and e-cigarettes?
When you recycle anything with a plug or a battery, you are helping to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. Electrical items generally contain hazardous components and therefore need to be disposed of correctly. By recycling you are also helping to conserve natural resources such as plastics, glass and metals as they are recovered for use again in industry.
Vapes contain a variety of materials, ranging from plastics to lithium, cobalt, nickel and manganese. By recycling, you are saving precious resources from going up in smoke! – and helping us to achieve a truly circular economy.
Vapes and e-cigarettes should not be placed in the general waste bin. The crossed-out ‘wheelie bin’ symbol on these products highlights that they should never be placed in household waste for disposal, rather they should be recycled
How to recycle vapes and e-cigarettes?
If you can remove the battery from your vape, take it out and recycle it separately. If you cannot remove the battery, recycle the whole item. Please ensure the liquid tank is removed prior to being placed in the ERP or WEEE Ireland Battery collection boxes.
Where can I recycle vapes and e-cigarettes?
There are many options for recycling your used vapes or e-cigarettes.
- Used vapes and e-cigarettes can be returned to the store from which you bought them. Retailers are obliged to take back disposable, single-use, rechargeable vape and/or e-cigarette devices on a one-for-one, like-for-like basis in-store or on delivery
- They can be brought to a WEEE dropoff recycling point or Civic Amenity Site, check the waste services locator on this site.
- Both WEEE Ireland and the European Recycling Platform (ERP) facilitate the collection and recycling of vapes and e-cigarettes through their battery collection networks. Battery boxes area located in most newsagents, supermarkets, electrical retailers and Local Authority Recycling Centres/Civic Amenity Sites. For more information, please see WEEE Ireland and ERP