Renfrewshire Council is reviewing how vapes are disposed of following safety concerns linked to lithium batteries.
The issue was raised at the Joint Consultative Board (Non-Teaching) on Thursday 23rd April 2026, after recent incidents elsewhere highlighted the risks.
Responding to a question from Councillor Mullen, an officer confirmed a working group has been set up to look at the problem.
They said: “We’ve got a working group… looking at that. At the moment, the arrangements are people can dispose of vapes and so forth at the household waste recycling centres or they can take them back to the vape shop as part of their licence.”
However, the meeting heard that changing regulations around single-use vapes may be affecting how they are disposed of.
The officer added: “We do know that… with the ban and the single use items that some other things are being amended… so they’re ending up in different places.”
Concerns have also been raised in schools, where vapes are often confiscated.
The officer said: “In schools, they’re confiscated and again… we’re looking at how we can manage to get those elements taken away safely.”
They warned that the issue centres on lithium batteries, which can pose a fire risk.
“It’s just a small lithium battery that’s in there,” they said. “Although it’s small… we’ve had similar instances of mobile phones heating up in offices and schools.”
The council said it is “actively looking at” the issue and will bring a full update to a future meeting.