North East Derbyshire District Council is reminding residents and local businesses to recycle vapes responsibly, following ongoing concerns around fire risks and environmental harm caused by incorrect disposal.
Vapes should never be put in household bins, as damaged or crushed vapes can cause fires due to the lithium‑ion batteries they contain.
All vapes can be recycled at Household Waste Recycling Centres across Derbyshire, and residents can also return them through retailer take‑back schemes.
Retailers who sell vapes are legally required to offer a take‑back service, meaning they must accept used vapes and vape components such as pods, coils and batteries. This also applies to any single‑use vapes returned after the national ban introduced on 1 June 2025.
Only vapes that are rechargeable and refillable can now be legally sold or supplied. Any vape that does not meet these requirements, including so‑called “big puff” vapes, is illegal to sell, supply or possess with the intention of sale.
Residents can recycle vapes safely by:
- Returning them to retailers through take‑back schemes
- Taking them to Household Waste Recycling Centres
- Using electrical and electronic retailers, which must accept small WEEE items regardless of where they were bought
- Using battery recycling facilities where available
- Avoiding landfill or general waste bins
