Kerbside collections for vapes and batteries have been introduced by Doncaster Council following research which unveils the rising number of waste facility and refuse vehicle fires.

According to environmental solutions provider SUEZ Recycling and Recovery, 339 fires sparked by vapes or batteries have taken place at its UK sites this year, with vehicle fires constituting 29 of these incidents.

The company that manages household waste for more than 50 local authorities has warned that the total figure ‘equates to more than one fire a day’.

Doncaster Council has since revealed that a lithium-ion battery fire occurred in one of its crews’ refuse vehicles this month and announced that the local authority is ‘taking early action to tackle the issue at source’.

The council’s waste collection crews are now collecting vapes, e-cigarettes and a majority of small batteries from households during their usual rounds, requiring residents to leave the items on top of blue recycling bins in a sealed clear bag.

SUEZ has reported that the council saw 600kg of vapes and batteries collected since the service was launched last week.

An extended list of items that residents across the borough can now recycle at kerbside is as follows: AA/AAA batteries, button batteries, 6V and 9V batteries, C and D batteries, laptop batteries, mobile phone batteries, vape and e-cigarettes.

The local authority has issued a reminder that the items must have their packaging removed and loose wires or connectors taped, while ‘large batteries (such as car batteries) must still be taken to a Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) to be disposed of safely’.

Deputy Mayor of Doncaster, Cllr Glyn Jones, said: ‘We know that depositing items such as batteries can often be confusing and, if placed in the bin, dangerous for our crews as they catch fire very easily, so we believe this move will have a dual benefit – help recycling and reduce the danger to refuse crews across the city.’

A Government spokesperson said: ‘Single-use vapes get kids hooked on nicotine and blight our high streets - it’s why we’ve taken tough action and banned them. Rogue traders will face serious penalties. Those who show a blatant disregard for the rules and reoffend face unlimited fines or jail time.

‘We’re working with Trading Standards and local authorities to enforce the ban and have made it compulsory for all vape retailers to provide recycling bins, with 10,500 takeback bins introduced in UK stores since April.’

Dr Adam Read MBE, Chief Sustainability and External Affairs Officer at SUEZ, said the single-use vapes ban ‘has proved to be a sticking plaster solution’ to the issues surrounding vapes being discarded incorrectly.

He added: ‘We need a much more ambitious plan to tackle the environmental damage and fire risk from cheap, throwaway vapes. For example, the Government requires producers to bear the responsibility for material recycling costs. A similar approach with vapes, where producers pay towards a nationwide battery recycling scheme, would reduce both the amount which end up in household rubbish and the costs local councils are forced to pay for collection.’