Put a £5 deposit on vapes to stop littering, say waste companies
Waste firms want a refundable deposit on vapes to cut litter and fire risks. Vape trade groups warn it could push buyers toward illegal sellers.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
The waste industry says vapes are still ending up in bins and waste sites in huge numbers, despite the disposable vape ban. It wants a refundable deposit, up to £5, to make people return them properly, but some vape firms say that could backfire.
Some companies that collect trash want people to pay a small extra charge when they buy a vape. If they bring the vape back the right way, they get the money back.
They say this could stop vapes from being tossed in bins or left on the ground, where they can cause fires and waste useful materials. It is a bit like borrowing a library book with a return promise attached.
But other vape sellers worry the plan could send shoppers to illegal shops that do not charge the deposit. The government says it is already trying to make retailers follow the rules better.
Analysis
What the waste firms want
The Environmental Services Association, which speaks for waste companies, is calling for a refundable deposit on vapes. The group says the charge would be added when a vape is bought and returned when it is handed back for proper disposal. Biffa, the UK's biggest waste company, has suggested a figure of £5, though that would still need consultation if the idea moves ahead.
The case for the deposit is practical rather than moral. Waste operators say vapes are still arriving in bins and mixed waste streams in large numbers, even after disposable vapes were banned a year ago. Patrick Brighty of the ESA said the sector still sees "hundreds of thousands" of discarded vapes each week and that they create a fire risk in waste vehicles and facilities. He also argued that existing take-back systems are not being used enough.
Why the proposal is contested
Vapes can already be returned to shops or recycling facilities, but the article says many are still thrown away with normal rubbish or littered. The Local Government Association says the weekly number of discarded vapes has fallen since the ban, but only from 8.2 million to about six million. It wants the government to enforce the ban more tightly and close what it sees as a loophole: reusable-looking vapes that still resemble disposables.
The trade side is pushing back. Marcus Saxton of the Independent British Vape Trade Association said a deposit scheme could drive customers toward illicit retailers who would not charge it. That argument frames the policy as a competition problem as much as a recycling one: if legitimate sellers add a deposit and illegal sellers do not, compliant firms may lose business.
The government, through Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds, says it has already taken "decisive action" and is committed to going further, including holding retailers to account if they do not provide vape recycling bins. The story leaves the central question open: whether a deposit would improve recycling enough to outweigh the risk of pushing more sales underground.
Key points
- Waste companies want a refundable deposit, possibly £5, on vapes to improve returns and reduce litter.
- They say discarded vapes still create fire risks and are not being recycled enough.
- The LGA says vape waste has fallen since the disposable ban, but remains high at about six million a week.
- Vape trade groups argue a deposit could push people toward illicit retailers.
- The government says it has already acted and wants retailers to provide recycling bins.
