Campaigning to reduce litter and improve water quality in Dorset

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Single Use Vape Campaign

Did you know 65 million single use vapes are thrown away in the UK every year?

The market for disposable vapes has grown immensely in the last year. The product’s rapid growth in popularity on top of the lack of information and advice on disposal has led to thousands of single use vapes being littered and tonnes of valuable resources being wasted.

Litter Free Dorset want to make consumers aware of the correct disposal advice, to help reduce the environmental impacts of this product.

Our campaign aims to raise awareness on three key points…

  1. Vapes cannot go into your home general waste or recycling bins.
  2. You can recycle your disposable vapes at your local via a retailer takeback scheme.
  3. Reusable vapes help to cut single-use plastic and conserve valuable resources such as lithium.

Key Points

1. Take your disposable vapes to your local House Hold Waste and Recycling Centre

  • Each disposable vape contains and lithium ion battery, putting them in the incorrect bin is a fire risk!
  • Vapers are currently throwing away 10 tonnes of lithium a year in the UK – enough to power 1,200 electric cars.

2. Check out these recycling schemes available at local shops and supermarkets

  • Vapes are classed as WEEE (Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment) meaning they can be recycled by retailers under the electrical takeback scheme. Please see below for information on specific retailer return schemes.

Click the links below for more information on retailer takeback schemes

3. Please #choosetoreuse wherever you can, by using a reusable vape instead of a single-use one. They will also save you money over time!

  • Reusable vapes are better for the planet, they can be recharged and refilled helping to save tonnes of lithium batteries and plastic from going to waste.
  • If you vape regularly then reusables will work out much cheaper in the long run, you could save more than £180 a year by switching to a reusable vape!

Facts About Single Use Vapes

Single use vapes contain harmful toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde and heavy metals that can leach into our environment when littered.

These chemicals cause harm to wildlife and can pollute our rivers and sea.

Each vape contains a lithium ion battery. Lithium is a finite resource and the mining process is destructive to the environment.

Please recycle your vapes to help reduce the impacts of lithium extraction.

Manufacture of the vapes sold in the UK leads to nearly 60,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

That’s the same amount of carbon dioxide released by roughly 375,000 people in the UK yearly.


Retailers – Help Share Our Campaign by Displaying Our Poster

Many consumers are unaware of how they should dispose of their used vapes, in fact, 1.3 million end up in landfill or incineration each week. Putting vapes into the wrong bin is a fire risk and also wastes valuable resources.

By displaying our poster your business can help make consumers aware that they can recycle their vapes.


Could You Share Our Campaign in Your Town Or Village?


Retailers who have agreed to display our poster

A big thank you to all our local stores (listed below) who have agreed to display the vape poster.

  • Spar East Street, Bridport
  • The Great Vape Shop, Bridport
  • Morrisons, Bridport
  • Nisa, West Bay
  • Spar, West Bay
  • Central, Burton Bradstock
  • Londis, St Edmund St, Weymouth
  • Evapo, Weymouth
  • The Co-operative Food Weymouth, Chickerell Road
  • Londis, Westham Road, Weymouth
  • Weymouth Vape, Abbotsbury Road
  • Sainsburys, Wareham
  • Spar Chapel Lane, Abbotsbury
  • Londis, Leigh Road, Wimborne
  • First Class Turkish Barbers, Wimborne

Has your store displayed a poster and want to be added to the list. Email Litter Free Dorset to let us know.

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