Old Vapes, Earbuds & Electronics Don’t Belong In Your Waste Bag: Here's Why

An old vape, a broken electronic toy or even a single wireless earbud might seem harmless, but throwing them into your household waste bag can create a serious safety risk.

WasteServ’s ‘Be Smart. No Spark.’ campaign is raising awareness about electronic waste and, in particular, everyday items containing batteries which people might not immediately recognise as e-waste.

Once waste is collected, it goes through several stages of transportation and processing, and if a battery is hidden inside a waste bag, it can be bent, crushed or ruptured , potentially causing a fire.

This doesn’t only apply to obvious electronics such as laptops, mobile phones and household appliances. Vapes, wireless earbuds, electronic toys, electric toothbrushes and smoke detectors all contain batteries or electronic components and should therefore be disposed of correctly.

Even small batteries can present a risk if damaged during waste collection or processing. Incorrect disposal also means valuable materials found inside batteries and electronics, including copper, aluminium, nickel and other materials, cannot be properly recovered.

WasteServ is therefore encouraging people to take a moment before disposing of everyday items.

If something contains a battery, plug, cable, or solar strip, check how it should be disposed of rather than placing it in a mixed-waste or recycling bag.

It’s a small check that can help protect waste management workers and emergency responders, reduce the risk of fires at waste facilities and ensure valuable materials can be recovered.

For more information about WasteServ’s ‘Be Smart. No Spark.’ campaign and how to correctly dispose of these items, visit WasteServ’s website wsm.com.mt/be-smart.

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