A growing number of e-cigarettes, or vapes, have been entering the waste stream in recent years, according to industry experts.
These small electronic devices containing lithium-ion batteries and hazardous liquids have become a fire hazard in scrap yards and waste facilities. Because there is no established solution for how to deal with discarded vapes, scrap metal recyclers have been encouraged to understand vape hazards in their scrap yards.
Why Vapes Impact Scrap Yard Safety
Reusable vapes in the waste stream have been a problem for waste and recycling facilities, but this has been exacerbated by the introduction of single-use disposable vapes. Disposable vapes are electronic cigarettes meant to be used once and discarded. They are cheap and readily available at convenience stores and gas stations. Each vape contains a plastic-encased lithium-ion battery, a heating coil, and liquid nicotine or sometimes liquid THC.
The significance for scrap yards is that these devices end up in the waste stream because many users mistakenly believe they can be recycled or thrown in the trash. According to Fire Rover, a fire suppression company, an estimated 1.2 billion disposable vapes enter the U.S. waste stream every year. While they may not be intentionally dropped off at a scrap yard, they are easily mixed in with scrap or dropped on the ground.
Once a vape enters the waste stream it poses a significant hazard. If the lithium-ion batteries inside are crushed, punctured, or shredded during processing, there can be a vape battery explosion, triggering a rapid chemical reaction and intense heat, starting a fire that is very hard to put out. The hazardous chemicals inside the vape also pose inhalation hazards for anyone nearby.
A Disposal Problem Without a Current Solution
Because vapes are not recyclable and shouldn’t be thrown in regular trash, they pose a unique problem because there is no single effective end of life disposal method currently for these devices. Their lithium-ion batteries classify them as hazardous waste in most places. The nicotine or THC liquid they contain is classified as a controlled substance and poses a biohazard risk. The plastic casing and metal heating coil are technically recyclable, but not in most mixed stream facilities, because it is hazardous to break them apart. Consequently, there are very few drop-off points available for disposing of these products responsibly. Consumers who want to dispose of a vape responsibly must find hazardous waste drop-off events or look for retail take-back programs or electronics take-back programs that accept vapes. This is why vapes often end up mixed with trash or piles of scrap headed to recycling. A 2025 PIRG analysis estimated that fires in waste facilities caused by disposable vapes cost at least $95 million per year in the United States alone.
Maine Passes Vape Disposal Law
This year Maine passed an extended producer responsibility (EPR) law specifically for vapes and e-cigarettes. The law requires manufacturers to join a producer responsibility organization and pay for a system of safe drop-off sites. Collection points must be no more than 15 miles away from 90% of the state’s population. Consumers receive $2 for each vape returned, creating an incentive to dispose of the item responsibly.
What Scrap Yards Can Do
Scrap yards and recycling facilities can aim to avoid fires caused by disposable vapes by using strict sorting procedures, advanced thermal detection technology, and lithium-ion battery containment.
Screening & Sorting
Employees should be trained to keep their eyes open for and flag vapes and all other small electronics and other e-waste before the material comes near processing equipment. Some recyclers also now use vision systems to sort scrap. These systems use AI-powered cameras over conveyor belts to instantly scan and identify loose batteries and vapes before they reach shredders. Some systems pair this with an air ejection bar that shoots a jet of air to blast the item safely off the line.
Thermal Monitoring & Early Detection
Maintenance personnel can use handheld thermal cameras to scan incoming scrap loads, machinery, and storage areas during routine inspections to catch hot spots caused by crushed batteries. Some recyclers have installed thermal monitoring systems which use infrared cameras over scrap piles to flag abnormal heat and activate an alert.
Safe Storage & Isolation
Yard staff should never attempt to dismantle a sealed disposable vape, as a puncture can cause a short circuit or chemical leak. The entire unit should be isolated immediately. Found vapes and hazardous lithium batteries should be stored away from combustible materials in locked, climate-controlled bins. If batteries are extracted from larger e-cigarettes, their positive terminals or mouthpieces should be taped with electrical tape to avoid accidental short circuits.
Until there is a more permanent solution for vape waste disposal, scrap yards and other recycling facilities will have to step up health and safety measures to mitigate the hazards of vapes, using employee safety protocols to protect their people and yards from vape fires.
About ScrapWare Corporation: Since 1989, Rockville, Maryland-based ScrapWare Corporation has been the software of choice for the recycling industry. Its ease of installation and simplicity saves users time and money while helping them achieve compliance and maintain accurate business insights. With state-of-the-art functionality tailored to each organization’s unique requirements, ScrapWare is an advanced dynamic software solution that alleviates the most pressing recycling industry worries. For more information, please call (301) 517-8500 or visit https://www.scrapware.com/.