Vape recycling

The Recycle Your Vapes campaign, a year-long initiative that was part of an Oxfordshire-wide effort to recycle used vapes, has now concluded. Over 12 months, the scheme successfully collected more than 80,000 disposable vapes - equating to over two tonnes - for recycling across Oxfordshire.

The campaign aimed to provide additional ways for residents to recycle vapes instead of disposing of them in litter bins, general waste, or mixed recycling. Improper disposal of vapes can contaminate recycling streams and pose significant safety risks, such as fires in bin lorries and waste facilities.

This initiative was designed to make it easier for Oxfordshire residents to recycle vapes responsibly. With an estimated 8.2 million vapes discarded or improperly recycled every week - equating to around 13 every second - proper disposal is essential. Vapes are classified as small electrical items, and their incorrect disposal presents safety hazards for vehicles, sorting facilities, and waste management workers. They also contain valuable materials, such as lithium, which cannot be recovered if disposed of in standard household bins.

The UK Government has announced plans to ban disposable vapes from June 2025, highlighting the need for sustainable alternatives and responsible disposal in the meantime.

Ongoing vape recycling options

Although the campaign has ended, you can still recycle your disposable vapes through these services:

• Kerbside collection: Place your disposable vapes in a clear bag and leave it on top of your blue or green bin lid as part of the regular small electrical recycling service.
• Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs): Use the pink public recycling bins available at each of the seven HWRCs across Oxfordshire, including Redbridge.

Campaign partners and funding

This campaign was funded by Material Focus, a not-for-profit organisation leading the Recycle Your Electricals initiative. It was run in partnership with Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire County Council, and Cherwell District Council.

Continuing to recycle vapes

While the funded period of the project has concluded, residents can still find drop-off locations for vape recycling using the search tool on the Recycle Your Electricals website. Additionally, details about kerbside collections are available via Oxfordshire’s Waste Wizard.