Five million vapes thrown away a week, campaign group says The Independent Just because you throw it away, does not mean it disappears Batteries are some of the smallest items we still receive in both trash and recycling truck when they shouldn't even be With more vapes getting thrown away every year, it's become a growing environmental problem. Vapes contain heavy metals, nicotine, and other chemicals, which leach toxic pollutants into the soil and waterways when Vape Waste 2 A whopping 5 million vapes are thrown away every week in the UK Everyone Health Staffordshire