Why You Should Never Bin Batteries or Vapes in Your Household Waste

As more Irish households adopt devices powered by batteries or rechargeable components, it is vital to understand the risks of disposing of used batteries and vapes incorrectly. Putting them into your general waste bin might seem harmless, but in fact it carries serious dangers—for safety, for the environment, and for workers in the waste industry.

This post explains those hazards, outlines the correct disposal methods in Ireland, and answers common questions. It is optimised for local SEO and aligned with Barna Recycling’s ethos in Connacht.

 

A Massive Danger for Householders

Householders should know there’s a real fire risk from discarded batteries and vapes. If these are damaged or crushed in a wheelie bin, a bin truck, or at a sorting facility, lithium cells can short out and flare up, sometimes with little warning.

A small fire can spread quickly, fill the air with toxic smoke, and damage fences, sheds, and vehicles, which can put people and pets at risk. Fires like this can also disrupt collections and mean costly repairs or insurance claims.

The safest approach is to store used batteries and vapes in a cool, dry place away from anything flammable, and take them to a designated drop-off point or an approved battery recycling service. The following section dives deeper into the consequences of the incorrect disposal of batteries and vapes.

 

Why Batteries and Vapes Don’t Belong in Your Household Bin

 

Fire and Thermal Runaway in Waste Streams

When batteries (especially lithium‑ion types) are crushed, punctured or damaged during waste collection or processing, they may enter thermal runaway, heating up uncontrollably, igniting nearby materials or even reigniting after being extinguished. In waste handling facilities, battery‑related fires are among the leading causes of serious incidents.

Globally, the rate of catastrophic fire losses in recycling and waste facilities is rising: one study found that the rate has increased by 41 % over the past five years, with many of those incidents traced to misdisposed lithium batteries.

The waste industry estimates that batteries are responsible for about half of the fires in waste and recycling streams.

 

Environmental and Health Hazards

Batteries and vape devices contain hazardous substances, such as heavy metals, corrosive electrolytes and other toxic chemicals. When landfilled or exposed to leaking conditions, these substances can leach into soil and groundwater, harming ecosystems, contaminating water sources and posing risks to human health.

Vape devices also may contain residual nicotine liquid, which is toxic and can pose spill or contamination risks if the device leaks.

 

Legal and Regulatory Obligations in Ireland

In Ireland, waste batteries and electronic equipment (WEEE) are regulated under national and EU law. They are classed as hazardous waste, so it is illegal to dispose of them in general household bins.

The European Union (Batteries and Accumulators) Regulations 2014 set out important obligations for battery producers, importers and distributors in Ireland.

In March 2024, new Battery Regulations under EU Regulation 2023/1542 came into effect in Ireland, with staged implementation of stricter rules on collection, labelling, producer responsibility and recycling targets.

Retailers in Ireland that sell electronic goods or batteries must accept waste batteries (of a type they sell) from customers free of charge for recycling.

It is also required that waste batteries never be placed in waste or recycling bins.

 

So, What Should You Do With Your Used Batteries and Vapes?

Disposing of batteries and vapes properly is easier than you might think. Here’s how:

1. Don’t put them in the general waste bin.
2. Use battery collection points. You’ll find free “Blue Battery Boxes” in local shops, supermarkets, electrical retailers, and your nearest civic amenity site.
3. Separate removable batteries from vapes. If the battery can be taken out, drop it into a battery box. If not, recycle the entire device via a WEEE drop-off point.
4. Cover battery terminals with tape. This prevents sparks or contact with other metals in transport.
5. Use local recycling centres. Visit weeeireland.ie or mywaste.ie to find your nearest drop-off location.
6. Take advantage of take-back schemes. If you’re buying a new vape or electronic item, ask the retailer to take your old one – they’re legally obliged to do so, even if you didn’t buy the original item there.

All of this is completely free of charge for consumers.

Where to Recycle Batteries and Vapes in Connacht

Here are some simple ways to safely dispose of your items:

• Battery recycling bins are widely available in Connacht supermarkets and newsagents.
• Barna Recycling’s civic amenity sites accept batteries and electronic waste. Visit our Household Recycling page for opening hours.
• Your local vape shop must accept your old device when you purchase a new one.
• Your nearest WEEE collection point – check weeeireland.ie for details.

 

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Can I put used batteries in the household recycling bin?
No, you should not. Batteries are classified as hazardous waste and must not go into household waste or recycling bins.

What do I do with a disposable vape I cannot open?
If the battery is not removable, recycle the entire device via a WEEE drop‑off point, making sure any remaining liquid is disposed of safely and the unit is not binned.

Will I be charged to recycle batteries or vapes in Ireland?
No. Recycling of batteries and WEEE in Ireland is free to consumers.

Which types of batteries are acceptable for recycling?
Portable batteries (AA, AAA, coin cells etc.), batteries from small appliances, rechargeable batteries, and electronic devices all fall under acceptable categories for battery/WEEE collection.

Why is it so dangerous to bin vapes or batteries?
Mechanical damage in bin lorries or waste facilities can trigger thermal events, leading to fires, reopening of smouldering cells, or ignition of waste materials. These fires are difficult to extinguish and pose danger to workers and infrastructure.

 

Do the Right Thing (and Recycle)

Disposing of vapes and batteries properly might seem like a small action, but it makes a massive difference, preventing fires, protecting waste workers, and keeping harmful substances out of our environment.

Don’t take the risk. Binning them could cost far more than a trip to your local drop-off point.

Make the responsible choice today. Recycle your batteries and vapes properly, and if you’re not yet signed up with Barna Recycling, you can do so easily right here.

Top Tips To Declutter Your Home Before The Holidays

Its finally the holiday season! We all love the holidays and getting into the festive spirit, as it means we can finally begin to relax and spend time with our family & loved ones. But there is no denying it can also be the most busiest and chaotic time of the year! This season is usually the time when more waste is produced, and if you are like us you want to make sure your house is clutter-free for the holiday season.

Below we have outlined some of our top tips to follow for a stress-free festive season!

 

Christmas Lights & Decorations:

• If you have old Christmas lights in unusable condition you can bring them to your local civic amenity site or if you are purchasing replacement lights, the retailer should be happy to take the old ones off your hands.
• As for old Christmas decorations tinsel and plastic baubles; these are waste items, so they can go in your waste bin. Glass baubles can be brought to local bottle banks or civic amenity sites.
• Any old decorations made from a single material such as paper, card or rigid plastic only can be placed in the recycling bin.
• If a decoration is powered by a battery or has any sort of plug, be sure to remove battery separately for recycling, it is considered a WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) item and should be disposed of in a proper manner. (Source: mywaste.ie)
• This should be brought to a WEEE drop-off recycling point or your local Civic Amenity Site to be disposed of. Click here for more information on how to dispose of WEEE the right way

Christmas Shopping & Deliveries

• Cardboard Boxes: This can be disposed of in your recycling bin, however, ensure you remove as much packaging tape as you can first and break them down before you dispose them.
•  Soft packaging such as wrappers, plastic bags and bubble wrap have been added to the household recycling list earlier this year. Re-use boxes & bubble wrap where possible, if not usable then throw them into your recycling bin.
• Polystyrene foam can ONLY be recycled when separately collected, some civic amenity centres may accept it but be sure to check locally before you arrive. Otherwise, it should always be placed in the general waste bin.
• Be sure to check your recycling/general waste bins for any packages from time to time. Although unlikely some courier delivery drivers have been known to leave packages in the bins when there’s nobody is in the house at the time of delivery.

 

Christmas Cards & Gifts

It can often be a good idea to have a plan in place on how you and your family will handle Christmas waste. It’s important to understand what to do when Christmas cards, gifts and your online shopping start arriving. Below are some tips to dispose them off correctly:

• If you happen to receive Christmas cards by post, or if you have old/unusable Christmas cards, you can cut them up and use them to make labels for presents. Alternatively, it’s good to know that these can go in your recycling bin.
• Try to reuse envelopes by sticking labels over the address or you can simply dispose it in the recycling bin if it is unusable.
• A lot of common Christmas items such as wrapping paper and old Christmas lights can be brought to your local civic amenity sites or put in your recycling bin.
• When receiving gifts be sure to take off any Sellotape before putting the gift wrapper in the recycling bin.
• When you receive gift bags, try to re-use them as much as possible

Barna Recycling’s Top Tips for Christmas Upcycling:

At Barna Recycling, we actively encourage our customers to upcycle and reuse items where possible as it’s better for the environment, saves money and resources. Below are some of our favourite upcycling ideas for Christmas decorations, they are a fun way to get the kids as well as the whole family involved in upcycling.

• You can use old light bulbs or papers to create a funky bobble decoration for your tree. You can see the below style and more ideas here.
•  You can use wooden clothespins, hot glue and ribbons to make your own Christmas star. Click here to learn how.
• Create a unique garland/wreath using old piano sheets, leftover gift tags, paper & more. See ideas here.
• Don’t toss your wine bottles, they make for beautiful candle holders to light up your festive dinner.
• Make homemade Christmas cards using up old buttons, fabrics & broken jewellery.

Our Civic Amenity Sites will assist you greatly when clearing out your home before Christmas. We have seven civic amenity sites across Connacht for your convenience, where you can dispose of a large variety of recyclable Christmas waste items like wrapping paper, cardboard and Christmas lights at a reduced cost. Click here to read the benefits of using one of our civic amenity’s sites.

For larger Christmas waste items that cannot be disposed of in your general waste bin, you can consider hiring a skip. At Barna Recycling we have skips of all sizes, so you can be sure we’ll have one to suit your needs and the space available to you – check out our useful skip sizing guide here.

Battery Waste Disposal Guide

Welcome back to our blog series.  Our hot topic for this month is battery waste disposal in your home. People today are using more and more batteries than ever before, whether it be in your phone, TV remote or your laptop.   Read more