A NEWTON Abbot vape shop has joined a leading South West waste management firm’s new disposable vape recycling service in a bid to divert potentially hazardous material ending up in landfill.

Devon Contract Waste (DCW) has expanded its existing recycling options for electronics by offering businesses a 23-litre caddy so that disposable vape users can recycle the casing and batteries of vapes responsibly.

In the UK, 1.3 million disposable vapes are thrown into general waste every week, enough to cover 22 football pitches every year.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) is the fastest growing waste stream in the UK and with the number of vape users growing, DCW is keen to divert the materials away from landfill.

Many of DCW’s existing customers are already on board, including the My Vape store in Newton Abbot.

‘Product waste in the vaping industry has always been a slight issue but we have now entered the era of the disposable vape, the single most environmentally damaging part of the industry’ Chris at My Vape said.

‘With seven individually recyclable components in one small, convenient, and compact package, we recognised the potential disposable vapes could have, hence the scheme we now participate in with DCW.

‘The recycling experts help break these products down and reduce the environmental damages as much as possible from our end.

‘I would strongly encourage other vape stores to take the same approach’ he added.

Simon Almond, Managing Director of DCW, said: ‘We’re delighted to announce the launch of DCW’s new disposable vape recycling service.

‘Many don’t realise that these single-use vapes can actually be recycled and it’s important that the materials are recovered as they can be dangerous to the environment if they end up in landfill.

‘At DCW, we realise the importance of recovering WEEE.

‘The materials found in electrical waste are incredibly valuable but unfortunately, not enough is being done on a global scale to recycle electronic items.

‘By extending our WEEE recycling service to include disposable vapes, we hope to make a difference here in the South West.’