Biffa has called for UK-wide kerbside collection of disposable vapes.
The waste management giant said households should be able to leave used e-cigarettes and other small electricals outside their homes for free pick-up and disposal.
Ministers this month created a new category of electronic waste specifically for vapes as they looked to ensure producers pay for their disposal.
Biffa said almost 85 tonnes of batteries and electronic devices were placed in the wrong bins in the last year in Wakefield alone, causing more than 50 fires.
The waste firm added that it had seen a 7 per cent increase in incorrect disposals of vapes across its UK sites this June and July.
Biffa chief operating officer Maxine Mayhew said: “The UK is facing a growing epidemic of battery-related fires in both bin lorries and at waste management facilities which threatens lives, communities, vital infrastructure and the environment. It’s costing the waste industry £1 billion a year.
“Vapes in particular have risen in popularity in recent years but disposal behaviour hasn’t caught up with the trend, with many of them being discarded in any nearby bin or even littered on the ground. This is too often because of a lack of understanding of the fire hazard lithium batteries hidden in these items pose even when they appear to have run out of charge.
“We believe kerbside collection of small electrical equipment including vapes would go a long way to manage electrical waste safely and significantly reduce fires impacting the industry, our employees, communities and individuals.”
