Managing the storage risk of single-use vapes following their ban
05/23/2025
An estimated 8.2 million vapes are now thrown away every week or recycled incorrectly according to Material Focus.
When incorrectly recycled, the lithium-ion batteries in these vapes are the main reason behind the increase in the number of fires in refuse vehicles and waste recycling centres. Whilst guidance is available on how individual users can avoid vape battery fires or explosions there is a concern that recent legislation banning the use of single-use vapes could increase the fire risk at locations temporarily storing single-use vapes awaiting disposal.
Our focus in this article is to provide risk management guidance for the temporary storage of single-use vapes following the Government’s sales ban starting on the 1st June 2025.
Lithium-ion fire risks
The main cause of vape fires is when the lithium-ion battery is damaged, for example, by being crushed or pierced. This causes the battery to produce flames and eject hot fragments that can easily spread the fire to any nearby combustible materials.
There is a legal requirement for retailers selling vapes to offer customers a recycling bin for vaping products with detailed guidance available from the Association of Convenience Stores. Alternatively, to correctly recycle vapes the Recycle Your Electricals website should be used to find the nearest vape recycler.
The ban on single use vapes
With the ban on single-use vapes starting on the 1st June 2025, there is an expectation that local authorities will see a sharp upturn in the number of these products being confiscated due to enforcement action.
As a result, local authorities and waste handling centres may be faced with increased storage requirements. Bringing together a significant quantity of lithium-ion battery products into one space raises the urgent need to consider the required controls and safety measures to reduce the risk of battery related fires happening.
Further changes to the regulations have also come into law regarding reporting obligations and a new category for vapes to ensure that the costs of collecting and treating vapes are borne by those who place them on the market.
We have put together a hierarchy of storage arrangements for single-use vapes for you to consider as part of your overall fire safety strategy.
How to Safely Store & Handle Vapes
The preferred approach is to designate an external area for the secure storage of single-use vape batteries and other lithium-ion products awaiting disposal. There are several acceptable methods of doing this:
External Storage (the preferred approach)
Separate out any confiscated boxed and undamaged single-use vape products i.e. that visually show no signs of physical impact damage to the packaging, as these can be stored in an external and locked metal container on open metal shelving. The siting of the container to take into account the site security arrangements as there will be a theft risk to consider e.g. is the container covered by CCTV, in a fenced area with gated access and high-quality padlock in a steel housing to the container?
Individual vapes products to be stored in plastic drums with vermiculite. The drum to be filled in layers i.e. a layer of vermiculite, vape layer, cover with another layer of vermiculite and so on until the drum is full. Such drums should be stored in external and secured (locked) containers. The site security is less of an issue as there is limited theft value of such products.
Internal storage
Segregated area – the preferred option for internal storage is a designated compartment with external access doors for access by the fire service in the event of an emergency. This should be constructed from robust, non-combustible, materials such as concrete block walls and concrete ceiling.
There needs to be adequate ventilation to dissipate any gases from batteries going into thermal runaway. The same storage arrangements can be used as per the external arrangement i.e. open metal shelving for boxed and undamaged product and vermiculite drums for individual battery products.
Inside the main storage area – designated area. Where it is not possible to store externally or within a segregated area then the last option, and least preferred, is within a designated area.
In general terms the storage needs to be located away from other combustible materials. Depending upon the quantities being stored it may be necessary to install a fire-rated partition wall e.g. an engineered concrete wall to prevent thermal heat and flying hot fragments from reaching other combustible materials.
Where sprinkler protection is provided this should be reviewed to ensure it adequately covers the storage area and is within the design limits of the system. Our fire protection engineers at Zurich Resilience Solutions can support you with this assessment if needed.
NB Please note that this article only considers the property insurance related issues. Please ensure that you review your Fire Risk Assessment to consider any change in risk from the introduction of lithium-ion batteries.
Staff Training
Employees handling vapes will need additional training regarding the specific fire hazards of lithium-ion batteries. Prior to any training, your Health & Safety policies and procedures will need updating by a competent person to consider the risks that lithium-ion batteries represent.
The training should include:
- The proper methods for handling of lithium-ion batteries
- Procedures for receiving the vapes on-site
- How to identify damaged vapes
- Handling procedures for any vapes that appear to be overheating or damaged
- Action to take in the event of a lithium-ion battery fire
- The need for personal protective equipment (PPE) and specialist handling equipment
An overheating vape must never be handled directly as the lithium-ion battery inside can suddenly enter thermal runaway which can be a violent and explosive-like event.
Batteries that are showing signs of damage or overheating, but not ones that are on fire or venting gases, must only be handled by trained employees, with PPE and the use of a long-handled, non-conductive, tool to pick up the battery. This should be placed in a water container for 24 hours prior to arranging a specialist contractor to collect and safely dispose of the battery.
In the event of any vapes undergoing thermal runaway or showing signs that they are about to go into thermal runaway, then call the Fire Service to tackle the fire. If this occurs inside your property, then activate the fire alarm and then immediately call the Fire Service.
Conclusion
Due to the presence of lithium-ion batteries in vapes they represent a serious fire risk to those collecting them especially if they are mishandled. With the single-use vape ban coming into force, and enforcement of a new and more prescriptive recycling requirement for all retailers, those that are responsible for confiscating or temporarily storing vapes need to carefully consider the fire risks that are being introduced and implement suitable controls.