When BBC News raised the thought ‘are used vapes risking lives’, it was actually referring to people who dump them in their garbage. Their reporter Joan Cummins interviewed the regional manager of a recycling company who did not mince their words.
Incorrect Disposal of Used Vapes Costing Millions
One tiny vape can grow into a mighty problem, regional manager Luke Walker explained. One of their sites was out of commission for six months, after a vape fire destroyed the electricity network.
The root cause was a vape lithium battery that found its way into a blue recycling bag. “Unfortunately a fire took hold quite quickly and developed fast,” Walker told Joan Cummins.
“There is a misconception that used vapes are harmless and people think they’re doing the right thing putting them in the recycling. But they’re causing significant problems for the industry and putting people’s lives at risk”.
Fortunately, this time, it was not a question of used vapes risking lives. The personnel were able to evacuate quickly, and find temporary roles elsewhere in the company.
Reducing the Vape Threat to Human Lives
Luke Walker is not the first recycling manager to suggest that retailers should take spent batteries back. He shared the significant costs and specialized skills necessary to recycle these products.
The cost of recycling used batteries commercially does not always make good business sense. Requiring retailers to take used batteries back, and package them for specialist recyclers, could reduce the risk and cost to the industry.
Failing that, perhaps we should ask battery users to have second thoughts before they dispose of lithium batteries in vapes, electric toothbrushes, phones and power banks. Our society is joined up, and we should care about each other.
More Information
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