♻️ Recycling & Sustainability
At Vapourly, we care about where our waste ends up. Here's everything you need to know about recycling your vape products responsibly.
Vape devices are made from a mix of plastics, metals, and electronics — including lithium batteries, which are particularly harmful if sent to landfill. When vape products aren't recycled properly, toxic materials can leach into soil and waterways, damaging ecosystems and wildlife.
The good news? Recycling vape kits, batteries, and e-liquid bottles is straightforward once you know how. Most of the materials in your device are fully recyclable — they just need to go in the right place. This guide covers everything.
Did You Know?
- 6 million rechargeable vapes are thrown away in the UK every month
- An estimated 23 tonnes of lithium is wasted annually from vape batteries alone
- Global vape production generates nearly 9 million tonnes of CO₂ every year
- Only 23% of vapers currently recycle their devices in-store or at recycling centres
Recycling your vape kit and batteries correctly helps reduce all of these figures — and it takes less than 5 minutes.
Most vape kits are made from a combination of plastic, metal, and electronics. With a little care, the majority of the materials can be recycled. Here's how to do it properly:
Remove the Battery (if possible)
If your device uses a removable battery (such as an 18650 or 21700 cell), take it out and recycle it separately. Batteries should never go in general waste — see the battery recycling section below.
Disassemble Where You Can
If your kit can be taken apart, separate the metal panels and components from the plastic shell. Metal and plastic parts can then go into the relevant household recycling streams.
Clean Tanks and Pods
Give your tank or pod a rinse with warm soapy water to remove any remaining e-liquid. Glass tanks can go into glass recycling; plastic parts into plastic recycling. Coils (which are metal) can also be separated out.
Drop Off at an E-Waste Centre
For built-in battery devices or anything you can't disassemble, take the whole unit to your nearest e-waste or WEEE recycling point. Use recycleyourelectronics.co.uk to find your nearest drop-off location.
Vape Batteries
Vape batteries — whether built-in or removable cells like 18650s — should never go in your general rubbish bin. Lithium batteries are a fire hazard in landfill and contain materials that can be recovered and reused.
Drop them off at any large supermarket, Post Office, or local council recycling centre. Most have dedicated battery collection points near the entrance.
Find a battery recycling point →E-Liquid Bottles
Most e-liquid bottles, caps, and droppers are made from recyclable plastic (typically LDPE or PET). Give them a good rinse to remove any residual liquid, then pop them in your household plastic recycling bin.
Cardboard boxes and paper inserts can go straight into your paper and card recycling — no rinsing needed.
Coils & Pods
Used coils are made primarily from metal (kanthal, stainless steel, or nichrome wire) and cotton wick. While the cotton can't be recycled, the metal coil housing can go into scrap metal or small electricals recycling.
Plastic pods — once rinsed — can usually go in household plastic recycling. Check your local council guidelines if unsure.
Packaging
Pretty much all vape product packaging — cardboard boxes, paper inserts, and instruction booklets — is recyclable through your standard household recycling. Just break it down flat and it's good to go.
Plastic blister packaging or clear wrapping can usually go in plastic recycling too — check your local council's guidance for specifics.
Recycling is only part of the picture. Choosing where you buy from also has an environmental impact. When you shop with a UK-based retailer like Vapourly, you're cutting out the carbon emissions associated with international shipping and long-haul freight delivery.
Buying from a UK vape store means your order travels a fraction of the distance it would if purchased from an overseas seller — which adds up significantly across millions of orders a year. Small choices really do have a big impact.
We also encourage buying refillable kit systems over single-use alternatives wherever possible. Refillable pod kits and mod setups generate far less waste over time and work out significantly cheaper in the long run too — a win for your wallet and the planet.
🌱 Our Commitment to Sustainability
At Vapourly, sustainability isn't just a page on our website — it's something we actively think about in how we operate. We aim to minimise unnecessary packaging, work with suppliers who take responsible manufacturing seriously, and make it as easy as possible for our customers to recycle correctly.
We're a small business, and we know that means every decision we make matters. We're committed to continuously improving our environmental impact, and we'll always be transparent about where we are on that journey.
If you have ideas, feedback, or questions about our sustainability efforts, we genuinely want to hear from you — drop us a message at hello@vapourly.co.uk.
🔗 Useful Recycling Resources
- Recycle Your Electronics — find your nearest WEEE drop-off point for vape devices and electronics
- Recycle Now — Battery Recycling — everything you need to know about recycling batteries correctly
- Find Your Local Recycling Centre — search by postcode for your nearest council recycling facility
Got a Question About Recycling?
If you're unsure how to recycle a specific product or want to know more about our sustainability approach, we're happy to help.
Email us at hello@vapourly.co.uk and we'll get back to you within 1 working day.
