Single Use Vape Ban
A battery hazard in the waste streams
The 1st June 2025 ban on single-use vapes in the United Kingdom marks a significant regulatory move aimed at addressing environmental and public health concerns. A positive step to reduce plastic waste and tackle the increasing use of disposable vapes among younger populations, the ban is a further test on the recycling sectors resilience to fire and in extreme cases explosion.
History Repeating
Post COVID 19 there was a spike in ‘Flash Fires’ caused by disposal of bulked alcohol rich hand sanitizer entering waste streams. A phenomena that is set to be repeated 10 fold through bulk disposal of unsaleable single use vapes containing fully charged batteries.
If a single vape carton contains 200 vapes, and a pallet holds 20 such cartons. A single pallet will contain 4,000 vapes.
The typical energy capacity of a single use vape is 1 to 2 kWh.
2 kWh x 4000 vapes = 8 kWh.
To put that energy into perspective, the battery
capacity of a Tesla Model 3 is 50 kWh.
Doubtless, the speed in which fire can develop from a single vape battery has been experienced by every waste operator.
Are you prepared for 4000 units entering your waste stream from a single load?