More than 25,000 vapes swept up from Aberdeenshire streets each month, report finds

More than 25,000 vapes are being swept up every month from streets in Aberdeenshire, according to a report.

A recent trial by waste management specialists Levenseat using an eddy current separator revealed around 5,000 vapes were gathered from around 50 tonnes of the region’s sweepings and gully waste.

Vapes – which contaminate waste and recycling collections and the environment – should never be littered or put in any kerbside collection bins or battery bags, the council has warned.

E-cigarettes are said to be part of the fastest growing sources of electrical waste in the UK and pose a risk of fire.

A ban on the sale and supply of single-use vapes in Scotland is due to come into effect on April 1 2025, under proposed legislation published in February.

The council said specialised drums are available at all household recycling centres across Aberdeenshire to safely store vapes, or e-cigarettes, before they are transported to Veolia in Portsmouth for recycling.

Veolia rolled out the UK’s first nationwide vape collection service and can recover 94% of all the materials inside of them.

Recycling around ten tonnes of lithium from vapes could supply enough material to produce batteries for approximately 1,200 electric cars, according to studies.

Councillor Alan Turner, chair of the council’s Infrastructure Services Committee (ISC) said: “It is alarming how fast the rise of single use vapes has been.

“When we think about all the precious materials that are used to create them, just for them to be thrown away on our streets, it must surely be the truest meaning of e-waste.”

Isobel Davidson, ISC vice chair councillor said: “If you must buy vapes, please recycle them responsibly. When vapes are thrown away, the consequences are always felt by others.

“They damage our environment, cause fires in our waste streams, and place a significant financial burden on those who must clean up the mess.”