Scotland comes out ahead of the rest of the UK when it comes to vape battery disposal. That is the headline from a new UK wide survey, and it is a genuinely good result. It is also only half the story, because even in the best performing part of the country, more than half of people still are not doing the right thing with a dead vape.
Scotland’s Lead, and What It Actually Means
Asked what they would actually do with a used vape, 1,001 adults across the UK responded to vape battery survey data from übbs with some clear regional splits. Scotland recorded the highest proportion of any UK nation or region who said they would take one to a proper recycling point, at 45 percent. In South West England, by comparison, just 20 percent gave the same answer, while a third said they were simply not sure.
That gap is worth sitting with. The survey shows the regional difference clearly, but it does not establish why Scotland’s figure is higher than elsewhere, whether that comes down to awareness campaigns, council messaging, local infrastructure or something else entirely. What is clear is that Scotland’s 45 percent is the best figure in the survey, and it still means most Scots did not say they would use a recycling point when a vape stops working.
The Other 55 Percent
Nationally, the picture is less encouraging. Only 31 percent of respondents across the UK said they would take a used vape to a recycling point. Instead, 30 percent said they would put it in general waste and 16 percent would put it in household recycling, adding up to 46 percent disposing of a device incorrectly. If Scotland is ahead of that UK average, the reality on the ground still likely includes a lot of vapes going into ordinary bins, simply because people do not know there is a better option, or where to find it.
Awareness that vapes even contain a battery also varies by region. It was highest in Northern Ireland at 75 percent and lowest in Northern England at 57 percent, an 18 point gap. Scotland was not called out specifically on that measure, but the wider pattern is clear: knowing a battery is inside a vape and knowing what to do about it afterwards are two different things, and a lot of people across the UK have only got as far as the first one.
Why This Is About More Than Tidiness
A vape is an electrical product, and the reason it should never go in a normal bin comes down to the lithium ion battery inside it. If that battery is crushed or damaged during collection or sorting, it can short circuit and start a fire. Material Focus has recorded a 71 percent rise in battery related waste fires, from around 700 in 2022 to more than 1,200 in the most recent year reported, and waste contractor Veolia has separately reported roughly one fire a day across its UK sites and vehicles.
There is a resource cost too. Every vape that ends up in general waste rather than being recycled takes its lithium with it. Material Focus estimates that the vapes thrown away each year contain enough lithium to instead power nearly 5,000 electric vehicles, which gives some sense of what is being lost every time a battery goes in the wrong bin.
How the Numbers Have Shifted Since the Ban
The ban on single use vapes came into force across the UK on 1 June 2025, and it has made a real difference. Material Focus estimates that the number of vapes and pods thrown away or incorrectly recycled each week fell from 8.2 million in 2024 to 6.3 million in 2025. That is still roughly ten devices discarded every second across the country.
The market has moved towards rechargeable pod systems rather than disappearing, and those devices still contain the same type of lithium ion battery that needs proper disposal. The ban reduced the volume of vape waste, it did not remove the underlying battery problem.
Where a Dead Vape Should Actually Go
Retailers that sell vapes in the UK, Scotland included, are required under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment regulations to provide a way for customers to return used vapes and vape parts for recycling, either through an in-store take-back service or an alternative collection point. That covers the battery itself, whether it is a built in single use battery or a rechargeable one.
Beyond retailer take back, household waste recycling centres, the tip rather than the kerbside bin, generally accept vapes and small electricals containing batteries, though it is worth checking local council guidance first as facilities vary. Some retailers and specialist schemes also run dedicated electrical or battery recycling points. What should never happen is a vape going into general waste, household recycling, or having its battery removed at home.
What Would Get the Other Half to Change
Across the UK, 33 percent of respondents said a cash back or deposit scheme would most encourage them to dispose of vapes responsibly, with that figure reaching 50 percent in both Northern Ireland and Belfast. A further 31 percent wanted more recycling points available in shops. Only 9 percent said nothing would change their behaviour, suggesting most people are not opposed to doing the right thing. They are waiting for it to be made easier.
For Scotland, already ahead of the curve on recycling point use, the same logic applies. Closing that remaining 55 percent gap is less about convincing people the problem exists and more about making the correct option obvious and convenient wherever a vape is bought or replaced.
The Bigger Picture
übbs commissioned the survey to understand how the disposable vape ban has actually changed public habits across the UK, rather than assume awareness had simply improved. Scotland’s result is a genuinely useful data point, not because it solves the problem but because it shows behaviour can differ significantly by region, which means it can also improve. What works in Scotland, whether that is clearer signage, more visible recycling points, or better retailer compliance, is worth understanding properly rather than treating the vape waste issue as a single UK wide number.
For anyone rethinking their nicotine habits altogether, it is worth knowing that not every format comes with this battery question attached. Nicotine pouches from brands like übbs for example do not contain batteries or electronic components, so the disposal and fire risk issues associated with vapes simply do not apply. That is not a reason to abandon a routine that works, but it is a relevant fact for anyone weighing up the alternatives.
In the meantime, the fix remains straightforward. Take a dead vape back to where it was bought, use a proper recycling point, or drop it at the local tip rather than the bin. Scotland is already ahead on this. Getting the rest of the country, and the remaining Scots not yet doing it, to catch up is the next step.
