WEEE, the organisation responsible for electronics recycling in Ireland, says the vast majority of vapes are not entering recycling systems. It reports that more than 20 million vapes were not recycled last year. The organisations’ position is that vapes contain components that could be processed through existing waste electrical and electronic equipment routes, including lithium batteries, plastic parts and other electrical elements. However, according to WEEE, these devices are largely being disposed of through routes that do not recover them for recycling. The claims highlight a gap between how vapes are discarded and how recycling systems operate for electrical products. WEEE’s message focuses on the materials inside vapes and the need for them to be handled in a way that allows those parts to be collected and treated rather than thrown away as general waste. Both outlets agree on the scale of the recycling shortfall and the reasons relate to the devices’ battery and electrical content.