Can vape batteries be recycled?

Yes, you can recycle your vape battery. There you go - wasn’t that easy? A very clear answer here but there are, of course, some things to be aware of when you are finished with your battery. 

How can I recycle my battery in an environmentally friendly way?

This is a very good question and kudos to you for thinking of it! The UK has been falling just short of our battery recycling targets for the past few years, so any difference that we can make to try and increase the rate is fantastic. The first thing you need to do is make sure that the device is clean, empty and ready to safely be recycled - a daunting thought but one we have already covered here to help you through the process!

How you then recycle your vape battery depends on whether it is built-in or removable, so the first thing you need to do is identify which type of device you have. This should be clear to you - if you have never had to put or change a battery in your device, chances are it’s all built-in and therefore you need to put a little more effort into disposing of it safely. 

Recycling my disposable batteries

For those of you who use disposable batteries in your vape, you can simply find your local battery recycling point and drop your old ones here. The Recycle Now website is a really handy way to identify your closest point - a lot of supermarkets and local tips have an area for these, so you shouldn’t have to travel too far. You will quite probably find that your local supermarket or corner shop has a battery collection point for you to drop in any used stock.

Recycling my built-in batteries

Some vape batteries are, of course, built into your device and therefore cannot be recycled at a regular centre because of the additional electrical elements. These are designated as WEEE waste, or Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment, and need to be treated slightly more carefully thanks to the circuitry inside. The Recycle Now website can again help you identify your nearest centre for these, just remember to search for one that takes laptops or mobile phones as it is here you will also recycle your vape. 

What happens to my recycled battery?

By recycling your batteries you are allowing the recovery of materials from these and reuse of different elements to create new products, sometimes even new batteries! The batteries that power your vape are lithium ion, from which we are able to recover cobalt and steel to reuse in additional manufacturing processes. This helps both reduce items going to landfill and energy usage whilst slowing the depletion of natural resources thanks to the recycling of these elements. 

So there we go - the how and why to recycle your battery at the end of it’s working life with you. It doesn’t take long to look up and find your nearest recycling centre, indeed the majority of places that sell batteries also have an in-store collection point. Here at Fogstar too we are keen to help you vape safely and responsibly, so if you have any questions about our batteries please give us a call and we will be happy to help!