The public has been urged to recycle vapes and e-cigarettes as a report showed they made up one-third of all electrical devices sold in Ireland last year.

The report, by Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Ireland (WEEE Ireland), found that around 1.1m vapes were recycled in 2024 but around 31 million were sold across the country.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, CEO of WEEE Ireland Leo Donovan said: “We would really encourage, particularly the young people, to look at bringing those back to our battery recycling boxes, back to the original retailer that they bought the vape from.”

He asked people not to dispose of them in refuse bins.

Mr Donovan added vapes can be returned for free and are accepted in the WEEE Ireland blue battery boxes.

Mr Donovan said vapes are taken apart when recycled and the batteries and electrical components are separated.

“Can it be repaired? Can it be reused after you’ve finished using it, and then, if not, send it to one of the authorised recycling points, like your electrical retailer and the local authority sites,” he said.

The report shows that around 93 million household electronic items were purchased last year, which was almost three times higher than in 2006.

It also found that the proportion of households “hoarding unused devices” rose from 22% in 2023 to 29% this year.

WEEE Ireland also said it collected 16.2 million small appliances and 1.9 million lighting products and 72 million AA batteries in 2024.