Vape fire prompts new recycling bins

New bins have been introduced at all household recycling centres in Aberdeenshire in a bid to reduce the risk of fires from vapes and e-cigarettes.

Batteries in the devices can ignite when mishandled. Last September a collection of disposable vapes exploded while being compacted at Westhill recycling centre.

The recycling centres have now been equipped with drums containing the mineral vermiculite for the devices to be put into.

They will then be transported to another recycling facility where valuable materials such as lithium, nickel, and manganese will be extracted.

It is claimed five million disposable vapes are thrown away in the UK weekly.

Alan Turner, chairman of Aberdeenshire Council’s infrastructure services committee, said: “Vapes are an ongoing and ever-increasing issue for the environment in terms of litter, material resources, and the risk of fire".

He said the new bins would provide a much safer way to recycle them.