“Is there a way of disposing of a vape properly? I’ve seen people dunk them in water or just chuck them away but due to the chemicals in the battery I’m not sure how the vape will react. Is there a recommended way to get rid of one safely?“
All vapes contribute to what is now referred to as ‘e-waste’, i.e., any discarded electrical or electronic devices. There’s growing concern about their impact on the environment because despite their small size, vapes are consumed and discarded much more quickly than typical electronics, with single use or disposable devices being particularly problematic. As the name suggests, they’re specifically designed to be used once and then thrown away. All vapes have three key parts – a battery, an atomiser – or a heating coil – and a tank or pod. Sadly, each of these contribute to three specific types of environmental waste – plastic, electronic and hazardous chemical waste.
For the most part, the plastics used to make these devices are non-biodegradable, meaning they’re not capable of breaking down like organic materials do. As a result, this plastic waste is likely to be with us for hundreds of years.
Vapes are complex electronic devices that are powered by lithium-ion batteries. These contain dangerous chemicals that are flammable and harmful to the environment. If they’re left to degrade, a range of toxic metals can gradually leak from them and contaminate surrounding water supplies and ecosystems. This type of waste is one of the main reasons why vapes can be so difficult to recycle and need to be disposed of carefully, not simply dropped into a bin with other rubbish.
Finally, vapes contribute to hazardous chemical waste. Nicotine is toxic and regarded as ‘biohazard waste’ – even when a device has contained just traces of the drug, it means that they’re not suitable to be recycled.
Is there a correct and safe way to dispose of these devices?
Unfortunately, not really and the current advice in this country is quite complicated. Most importantly, the battery should never be thrown into a bin and should always be taken to a battery disposal bin. These can be difficult to find but some of the larger supermarkets often have one at the front of the store. But to do this, you must take them out of the device and that isn’t easy and can be risky. As for the rest of the device, that’s where it gets really difficult. If it contained nicotine it really can’t be recycled and if you put it into your rubbish bin it’s simply going to add to landfill. Sadly, that means there’s no simple solution.
The good news is that some councils across the country have now established safe drop-off points for vape recycling. Clean Up Australia has compiled a resource that lists all current safe disposal places for vapes. You can find a link to that list on their Clean Up Vapes page.
First published: April 2025
