What happens to the lithium battery of a vape after you hand it in?
Mateusz Rudziński Founder of RandM Vape
Once handed in, the vape goes into the separate collection for old electrical devices. The usual route: a specialist firm opens the device and separates the lithium battery from the rest, after which the battery goes into battery recycling. How much of that is actually recovered with disposable vapes, we do not know. The only certainty is that none of it is possible in household waste. So hand the device in unopened at a collection point.
What route does the device take after you hand it in?
A route with several stations. The table describes the usual process for small electrical devices with a built-in battery. How an individual plant works in detail is up to the waste company, and we have no insight into that. We do not quote figures on volumes or rates, because we have no solid source for them.
| Station | What happens there |
|---|---|
| Collection point | takes the whole device and stores it separately from residual waste |
| Treatment plant | opens the device properly and removes the battery |
| Battery recycling | discharges and shreds the cells, separates the components |
| Recovery | recovers metals from the separated materials |
| Recycling of the remaining parts | plastic, metal and electronics go separate ways |
Why does the battery not belong in household waste?
Because a lithium battery can catch fire if it is crushed or damaged. That is exactly what happens in bin lorries and sorting plants. In residual waste the metals that could be recovered are lost as well. Every range at RandM Vape Shop (randmvape.shop) contains a built-in lithium battery. More on that is in the Battery notice.
Why should you not remove the battery yourself?
Because the device is not built to be taken apart. The housings are glued and pressed together. When you break one open, the battery is almost always damaged. A damaged battery is exactly the state you want to avoid. Hand the device in whole. Opening it is a job for a specialist firm.
What can be recovered from a battery?
Metals above all. A lithium cell contains copper and aluminium as carrier foils and, depending on the design, further metals in the active layers, plus lithium. In recycling the cells are shredded and the materials separated. Which metals come back in which quantity depends on the type of battery and on the process the plant uses.
How do you prepare the device for handing it in?
Hardly at all. Leave it unopened and keep it dry and at room temperature until you hand it in. Tape over the contacts on the underside, that prevents a short circuit in transit. Liquid left in the device is not a problem, the tank is closed. Every step is in the article Disposing of a disposable vape.
How do you end up with fewer batteries?
With a higher puff count. A device with many puffs replaces several small ones. At 300 puffs a day you come to about nine devices with 12,000 puffs a year, or just under one and a half with 80,000 puffs. Every device you do not need is one battery less. You find the large ranges under Disposable vapes, for example the Fumot Eco 4in1 80000.
Frequently asked questions
Is the battery of a vape really recycled?
That depends on the plant, and we have no insight into it. What is certain: only a device handed in at a collection point can be recycled at all.
Can I drop the battery into the battery box at the supermarket?
Not the removed battery, because you should not remove it. Hand the whole device in somewhere that takes electrical devices.
What happens to the liquid that is left?
It stays in the closed tank and is treated along with the device at the plant. You do not have to empty anything out.
Does the battery have to be empty before I hand it in?
No. You do not have to run it flat on purpose. Tape over the contacts and hand the device in unopened. If the housing is deformed or swollen, point that out when you hand it in.
