New: Dispose of empty vapes by mail
In every e-cigarette, there’s a battery, which means that "vapes" are classified as electronic devices and should always be recycled. To make the disposal of empty vapes easier for consumers, the Vape Recycling Bag can now be ordered free of charge and delivered directly to your home. Filled bags can simply be left in your mailbox, and the postal service will collect them for free and take the vapes to be recycled.
Vape Recycling Bag for convenient disposal from home
Now, not only retailers but also you as a consumer can order the Vape Recycling Bag directly to your home, making it even easier to dispose of empty vapes. The bag can hold up to 4-5 kilograms of vapes, which is approximately 140–170 e-cigarettes at 30g each. Once filled, place the bag in your mailbox for free collection, and the postal service will take your vapes to recycling.
Alternatively, you can return your empty e-cigarettes to any retailer or shop that sells vapes, including kiosks, all of which accept all types of e-cigarettes, including batteries, free of charge—even if you’re not purchasing a new device.
Another free option for properly disposing of your vapes is to take them to an electronic recycling center. You can easily find your nearest recycling location through the Recycling Map. Just enter your postal code and select "e-cigarettes," and you’ll see the closest recycling points.
Valuable Raw Materials for the Electronics Industry
Vapes contain numerous valuable raw materials, including aluminum, lithium, and cobalt, which are also essential for producing many other everyday electronic devices: smartwatches, laptops, tablets, mobile phones, hearing aids, and electric car batteries. By recycling your e-cigarettes as you would any other electronic device, you help ensure that these raw materials can re-enter the production cycle, making them available for use in new devices.
Free Disposal Thanks to the Advanced Recycling Contribution (ARC)
E-cigarette disposal is free for all consumers. In Switzerland, as with other electronic devices, consumers pay a small fee at the time of purchase that covers the future recycling cost. This advanced recycling contribution (ARC) currently amounts to 10 cents for disposable and reusable e-cigarettes with batteries, and 5 cents for battery-free devices.
Why vapes don’t belong in battery collection bins
Vapes are often disposed of in battery collection bins, which is incorrect. E-cigarettes contain more than just a battery; they include components like the mouthpiece, plastic casing, and heating coil, all of which can be separated and processed during recycling. The materials in the batteries themselves can be recovered with a purity level of 98%, allowing them to be reintegrated into the material cycle. For this reason, used e-cigarettes, like electric toothbrushes, hand blenders, and smartwatches, should be returned to stores or taken to an e-waste collection point. Only in this way can e-cigarette recycling work smoothly.