Include Vapes in DCCEEW’s Regulatory E-Waste Collection and Recycling Scheme for Small Electrical and Electronic Equipment

Author: Indah Johannes | Publish date: 07/04/2025

Problem Identification: 

In Australia, there is no national standard disposal method for vapes. 

Shannon Mead, CEO of environmental advocacy organisation No More Butts, has commented that “there are currently no readily accessible methods for the proper disposal of vapes”. 

This means that many individuals have no place to properly dispose of vapes. This is known to increase the risk of environmental damage, contaminating other waste streams, and creating safety hazards such as battery-related fires.

Context: 

A vape is a battery-powered device that heats up a liquid to become an aerosol. While non-therapeutic vapes are banned in Australia, therapeutic vapes are still available in pharmacy settings to patients 18 years or older without a prescription (aside from in WA, where a prescription is still required). 

Vapes are known to consist of several hazardous components, notably lithium-ion batteries, toxic liquid, and a pod often made from single-use plastic. Clean Up Australia reports that “they’re near impossible to recycle”, and because of the mixed nature of the product, “the issue of safe disposal remains an enormous challenge.” Reece Russel, manager of one of WA's licensed vape disposal companies, says "The cheaply made lithium batteries can cause a fire if they are disposed of incorrectly into general waste and if they're damaged." 

The Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia has reported that there are more than 12,000 fires annually in the waste and resource recovery industry. No More Butts has highlighted that “many of these are likely to be caused by vapes”. 

In the 2024-25 budget, the federal government announced, “$12.5 million over three years from 2024-25 to establish a consumer collection and

disposal scheme for vaping products”. However, according to No More Butts, as of the 31st of March, there has been no clear deployment or assignment of these funds. 

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), has proposed a regulatory e-waste collection and recycling scheme for Small Electrical and Electronic Equipment (SEEE). The proposed scope for the SEEE includes, “most of the small electronic and electrical equipment found in homes and small businesses, weighing up to 20 kg” through a network of “accessible drop-off services available to households and small businesses”. Disposable vapes are currently excluded from the scope of the SEEE products covered. 

No More Butts has advocated for the inclusion of vapes in DCCEEW’s regulatory SEEE scheme. They say this could ensure that vapes have a method to be disposed of safely while creating less impact on the environment. 

There is precedent for the government-led collection of vapes. The need for “specialised recycling programs” led to the Port Phillip City Council in Victoria launching its first vape recycling trial in February 2024. By the end of July, this resulted in 128 kg of vapes having been dropped off at their collection point at St Kilda Town Hall to be specially recycled. This equates to over 2000 vapes. The program will continue and they are planning to increase drop-off points by the end of 2024.

Solution Identification: 

Amend the proposed guidelines of the DCCEEW SEEE scheme to include disposable vapes in the list of collected products so there is a method for vapes to be disposed of safely. 

This could enhance the safe disposal and recycling of disposable vapes, helping to mitigate the environmental and safety risks associated with improper vape disposal.

Advice:

DCCEEW should amend the guidelines of the DCCEEW regulatory product stewardship scheme for SEEE to include disposable vapes, at the next opportunity.

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Public Support: 

1. No More Butts (Vaping | No More Butts)

Where to go to learn more: 

1. Producer Responsibility Needed for Vape Disposal - Provides a summary of why a safe disposal method for vapes is needed. Access the full website here. 

2. No More Butts Recommendations for the 2022-23 Federal Budget - Provides a detailed explanation of the recommendation and the motivations behind them. Read more here. 

3. Need for a Tobacco Industry Product Stewardship Scheme - Section 2 outlines why a Tobacco Industry Product Stewardship Scheme is required for vapes. Access the full submission here.

4. 2025 NSW legislation "Product Lifecycle Responsibility Act 2025". This legislation could mean that companies that manufacture or sell battery-powered products might be obligated to provide safe collection locations for used items, improve product design to make batteries easier to recycle or launch educational campaigns to highlight potential risks.

Human Perspective:

Tyler, a 20-year-old university student, found himself completely confused one afternoon while cleaning out his backpack. He had just finished a group project when he noticed a disposable vape among his belongings. He thought for a moment about how to dispose of it, but the more he thought, the more puzzled he became—he had no idea where to throw it. After some quick Googling, Tyler discovered there was no clear method for safely disposing of vapes in Australia. He was surprised to learn that improper disposal could lead to serious environmental damage and even fires from the vape’s lithium battery. Feeling even more confused, Tyler realized that not only did he have no idea what to do with his vape, but that many people likely didn’t either. Tyler really wanted to do the right thing, but without clear instructions or a designated disposal method, he was left unsure of what to do next.

To protect the anonymity of those involved, this is a fictionalised account drawn from an amalgamation of real-life stories, experiences, and testimonials gathered during the research process for this brief. Any resemblance to actual individuals is purely coincidental.

Conflict of interest/acknowledgment statement: 

N/a.

Support 

If your organisation would like to add your support to this paper or suggest amendments, please email Info@foreaustralia.com. 

Reference list: 

Chalmers, J., Gallagher, K. (2024). Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook 2024-25. Archive Budget. https://archive.budget.gov.au/2024-25/myefo/download/myefo2024-25.pdf#page280 

City of Port Phillip. (2024). Vape recycling trial collects over 2000 vapes. https://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/about-the-council/news-and-media/vape-recycling-trial-collects-over-2000-vapes

Daly, S., Neovius, A., & Leuchars A. (2025). Trashback guarantee: suppliers to handle their own product recycling under new NSW laws. Johnson Winter Slattery. https://jws.com.au/what-we-think/trashback-guarantee-suppliers-to-handle-their-own-product-recycling-under-new-nsw-laws/

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. (2023). Regulation for small electrical products and solar photovoltaic systems. https://consult.dcceew.gov.au/regulation-small-electrical-products-solar-pv

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. (2024). Environment Ministers Meeting Communique [Review of Environment Ministers Meeting Communique]. https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/emm-communique-10-dec-2024.pdf 

Department of Health and Aged Care. (2024). Vapes: information for sponsors, importers and manufacturers. Therapeutic Goods Association. https://www.tga.gov.au/products/unapproved-therapeutic-goods/vaping-hub/vapes-information-sponsors-importers-and-manufacturers

Leaver, K. (2023). Growing volume of vape waste a challenge with recycling costly and dangerous. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-19/vape-disposal-waste-environment/102104946

Moon, L. (2023). Single-use, disposable vapes banned in Australia. Clean Up. https://www.cleanup.org.au/vapes-banned-in-australia

No More Butts. (2024). Vaping Devices: Submission for Stewardship for Consumer and other Electrical and Electronic Products. Trove. https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20220816112254/https://haveyoursay.agriculture.gov.au/74338/widgets/376048/documents/236047

Office of Environment and Heritage. (2024). NSW leads the charge on mandatory battery safety. NSW Government. https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/news/nsw-leads-charge-mandatory-battery-safety 

Quit Vaping Facts. (2024). What are e-cigarettes and vaping?. https://www.vapingfacts.org.au/get-the-facts/what-are-e-cigarettes-and-vaping

Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association Australia. (2025). WMRR calls for all states to act now and make battery stewardship mandatory. https://www.wmrr.asn.au/Web/Web/Media/Media_Release/2025/WMRR_Calls_for_All_States_to_Act_Now_on_Batteries.aspx

All quotes from Shannon at No More Butts were shared with the FORE Australia team during meetings and are used here with permission. For any questions regarding these quotes, please contact info@foreaustralia.com.