Vape recycling bins rolled out in Laois

Recycling bins for vaping devices have been rolled out at various locations across Laois following a joint initiative by Hale Vaping and Applegreen.

Large blue recycling bins have been installed at Midway Food Court, Portlaoise, Killeshin Service Station, Portlaoise, Irishtown Service Station, Mountmellick and Applegreen, Killeshin Road, Ballykillen.

 Simon Carroll, Managing Director of Hale Vaping, said: “We are very pleased to have the opportunity to partner with Applegreen on this worthwhile environmental initiative. Research conducted by Red C last September revealed that almost half of people using vapes weren’t aware that vapes could be recycled. And 45% didn’t know where to recycle their vape. To help address this, Hale ran a nationwide outdoor advertising last October with the message: ‘Put vapes in the Blue Bin’. The increasing visibility of vape recycling across the retail landscape, and especially now at Applegreen locations, will further support customers and should have a significant impact on increasing vape recycling.”

Welcoming the roll-out of vape recycling bins across Applegreen forecourt locations, Deborah Howell, Head of Trading and Distribution at Applegreen, said: “We are delighted to offer our customers the opportunity to recycle their used vapes when they next visit Applegreen. The installation of the new recycling bins complement’s Applegreen’s wider “Drive Change” sustainability and carbon neutral strategy. Part of this strategy is to support our customers and the communities that we serve. In this context, the availability of vape recycling bins at Applegreen for the safe disposal of used vapes makes total sense. This new initiative will further complement the ever-increasing range of services we offer, which include not just quality assured, fully traceable and low price-guaranteed fuel, but also delicious coffee and food, parcel collection and household essentials.”

Used vaping devices contain a battery, a coil and other electronic components and are categorised as waste electrical and electronic equipment, or WEEE. They should be returned to a specialist store, disposed of in a blue battery recycling box supplied by WEEE Ireland which are widely available in retail outlets, or in the vape recycling bins now available at Applegreen locations. These used vapes will then be collected and safely transported for recycling. They should not be put into general black household or street bins.