Vapes are particularly challenging to recycle because their batteries can spontaneously combust or spark fire in recycling facilities which can injure sanitation workers and require special cleanup.
States are shifting responsibility for the damage caused by vapes back onto the product manufacturers through extended producer responsibility programs. Since January, multiple states have taken legislative and regulatory action which acknowledges the difficulty of recycling vapes and imposes extended producer responsibility restrictions on the product’s manufacturers. Many programs impose these restrictions during the manufacturing process, however some programs, like the one in Utah, use licensing fees to fund the recycling of vapes after they have already been produced.
This data is updated as of October 8, 2026
