Are Disposable Vape Batteries WEEE Registered?
A Sky News Investigation Finds Some Disposable Vape Manufacturers Aren’t Registering Devices with WEEE
Sky News recently published an article suggesting that some major disposable vape manufacturers have not registered their devices with the relevant UK authorities.
In an article titled “Millions of disposable vapes containing valuable metal ending up in landfill”, they found that some manufacturers weren’t correctly registering their devices on the Environment Agency’s WEEE Register, meaning thousands of disposable vapes were ending up in landfills.
What is WEEE Registration?
UK laws categorise disposable vapes as waste electrical and electronic equipment, known as WEEE. This means manufacturers of these products have responsibilities to ensure they are recycled and must place themselves on a register.
The WEEE register requires that all waste electronic products must have;
- a date mark
- crossed out wheeled bin symbol
- Must provide information on product reuse and how to treat products in an environmentally friendly way (done within one year of product launch)
- Ensure that any distributors have the manufacturer’s producer registration number
- Keep records of all EEE devices placed on the market for at least 4 years
What did the Sky News investigation find?
The investigation found that some major manufacturers of disposable vapes were not listed on the register.
This includes major brands such as Geek Bar and Elf Bar. The investigation by Sky News found that neither was listed on the register, and neither responded for comment.
When Sky News took their findings to the Environment Agency (which enforces WEEE regulations), they responded by saying “any business identified as failing to comply with these regulations will be subject to an appropriate enforcement response.”
Are disposable vapes recyclable?
Disposable vapes are usually recyclable. They are essentially plastic containers with e-liquid, cotton, a coil and a small lithium-ion battery. The plastic casing can be recycled and the cotton is biodegradable. The metal coil is also recyclable.
The lithium batteries can be recycled alongside other battery types at local battery recycling points, often found in supermarkets across the UK.
However, disposable vapes usually have to be disassembled by the user to be correctly recycled, which doesn’t make it a quick or straightforward task.
This is why the WEEE register matters, as it places the onus on manufacturers to ensure the devices are recycled. This could be done using schemes such as offering customers discounts when they return their empty disposables.
Where can you recycle disposable vapes?
You can recycle disposable vapes using standard recycling points found in a number of UK supermarkets.
In some cases, such as the plastic casing and metal coil, can be recycling using standard home recycling. Check the packaging on your disposable vape to see where it can recycled.
How valuable is lithium?
Lithium is used in a huge range of electronic devices and is a key component in modern batteries, including those in disposable vapes.
However, with the huge increase in electric cars and renewable energy, lithium has become a crucial resource to make the batteries they depend on. According to the Guardian, the price of lithium has sky rocketed since January 2021, rising by 478.3% in January 2022.
Recycling disposable vapes should be a priority for both manufacturers and the government. It would allow manufacturers to recycle and reuse the lithium to reduce the impact on the environment, as well as keeping costs down for consumers.
