Suez reports £1bn cost and 670 fires from vape waste
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- Suez reported 670 fires at its UK sites in 2025, with 368 confirmed caused by lithium‑ion batteries or vapes and 176 more suspected.
- Dr Adam Read said vapes were suspected as the cause of over 80% of reported fires across Suez sites last year, and the sector estimates around £1 billion a year is needed to address the problem.
- Ana processes about half a bucket of 40‑50 vapes per shift, manually smashing each device with a hammer to pry out batteries and separate components for recycling.
- Steve Daniels noted a shift from small disposable “600‑puff” vapes to larger rechargeable models like Hayati, which contain bigger batteries and are now more common in the waste stream.
- UK government has made it compulsory for all vape retailers to provide recycling bins and reports 10,500 take‑back bins already installed on high streets.
- Elfbar urged users to use retailer take‑back services and highlighted the statutory duty of retailers to accept depleted devices and refills.
Why it matters: Suez and insurers are forced to absorb high fire‑risk costs, while the £1 billion annual expense falls on the sector and public, underscoring a gap in consumer awareness and regulatory enforcement as more than six million vapes are still discarded weekly despite the 2025 ban, driving fire incidents and higher insurance premiums for waste facilities.
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