How to Properly Recycle or Dispose of Your Vape Batteries?
If your vape uses removable batteries, you have to properly dispose of the battery when it’s depleted or damaged. Discarding vape batteries may be a worrisome act for a newbie starting to vape since they shouldn’t be put into the waste bin. But not to worry, there are many ways to get rid of your vape batteries or kits.
Options are to take the battery to a designated waste company that accepts electronic waste or sign up for a vape recycling program. Oh wait, there’s another way around this – recycle it yourself, but this takes a little DIY process. This article explains the various ways to “properly” recycle and get rid of your vape batteries.
What To Know Before Disposing Your Vape Batteries
Before taking the depleted or damaged battery away, make sure you have exhausted the THC oil or vape juice inside. If there’s still a small quantity of oil or juice left in the device, the recycling company won’t accept it, and if you’re recycling yourself, those little droplets left can cause fire hazards when heated up. Now, this is a general rule that applies to all vape devices.
How to Properly Recycle or Dispose of Your Vape Batteries?
Now, there are about five ways to go about this – you choose the most preferred one that would work best for you.
1. Contact a Waste Management Service
Depending on where you live, there are waste management services that accept disposable vapes and THC vape batteries, and they’ll help you dispose of them. You have to search around if such services exist in your locale, and then sign up. You can also contact your local waste management service and they may be of help.
2. Sign Up for a Recycling Program
Popular programs like TeraCycle can help you recycle your e-waste. While there are free recycling programs, some are based on subscriptions – some kind of paid stuff. Check within your area if there are any such programs you can sign up for.
3. Check Your Local Dispensary
Yeah, some counties have stipulated guidelines for the disposal of e-waste products like disposable vapes and THC vape batteries. You may want to check the regulations first, before making any further moves.
4. Use a Battery Recycling Service
The fact that your vape’s got a lithium-ion battery makes it eligible to be disposed of by a battery recycling service provider. So, if you know of one that operates in your area, get them to visit your doorstep when needed. Yeah, you can also take the vape battery to the battery recycling facility or a collection site.
5. Do It Yourself
Yes, you can dispose of your vape battery without getting any third party involved. The only issue here is that it takes time to get that done. Also, this is your best bet when you live far away from collection sites or drop-off centers.
- Step One: Make sure the battery gets to 0%, you can discharge the battery completely, by yourself. Once completely depleted, allow the battery to cool off – leave it for a whole day.
- Step Two: Now, submerge the vape battery in a cold salt water solution and leave it there for up to two weeks. Make sure the water is covered with a secure lid, which is why this should be done with a bucket or a bowl that has a cover.
- Step Three: After the two weeks, bring out the battery, dry it up, and wrap it up in a newspaper or any paper, then dispose of the battery in your waste bin.
Since this procedure takes a bit longer, most people would wait until they’ve got at least 2 or 3 vape batteries to dispose of, and then go ahead with this DIY.
6. Follow the Manufacturer's Instructions
Check the packaging your vape was delivered with or the manufacturer’s official website. Sometimes, these manufacturers leave details on how to dispose of the product when done with it. This is not always the case, but some vape manufacturers do leave specific disposal instructions.
FAQs
Why Vape Batteries Cannot be Disposed as Regular Waste?
The answer is simple – they are electronic devices with a lithium-ion battery, which tends to blow up or explode into a fire disaster scenario when heated up. Leaving vape batteries in your waste bin is risky because it could cause a fire disaster, especially when the battery still retains some charge and there’s e-liquid left on the vape device.
Can I Return My Vape Battery To The Retail Store?
Getting the vape device or battery back to the store you bought it is another means of recycling it – but not all vape stores accept that. You have to ask the store if they recycle batteries and then deliver them to them if asked to. For stores that offer this service, you may have to purchase the vape from them to be eligible.
How Do I Throw Away My Vape?
You don’t just throw away your vape battery simply because it’s tagged “disposable.” You have to dispose of it properly, which can imply taking it back to the store where you bought it, dropping it off with a designated e-waste collector, or following our outlined DIY guide if you must do it yourself.