LONDON, UK. August 6th, 2026 – Leading waste disposal firm Enviro Waste Management has urged people to dispose of vapes sensibly after a fire at its waste yard.
On the night of 4th August 2026, a passer-by spotted smoke from the Enviro Waste Management yard at Leyton Industrial Village and immediately contacted the fire brigade who arrived promptly.
With the help of the operations director John Kinful who arranged for the company’s excavator driver to attend and separate the rubbish and ensure that any material that could potentially light up again was fully doused, the fire was extinguished within 45 minutes. The fire did not cause any injuries, damage to property or vehicles and none of the neighbouring businesses were affected.
Upon separating the waste for the firefighters, two vapes were discovered hidden under all the rubbish. One is believed to be the cause of the fire.
John Kinful said: “Due to our excellent health and safety measures in place, no ignitable material like cardboard or recyclable waste is left on site overnight, thus controlling the spread. However, this incident could still have caused far greater damage.”
“In a densely populated industrial estate like ours, a fire of this scale could have spread to neighbouring business units, resulting in multiple small businesses closing and significant environmental contamination from smoke and runoff. Just because no one was injured this time, it does not mean it will not happen again.”
Despite multiple government measures in place to prevent vapes in bins, with complete bans on single use vapes, warnings against throwing vapes in general waste bins and compulsory retailer take back schemes, waste collectors still face the risk of getting seriously injured because of one vape thrown in the bin. General waste goes into compactors that put continuous pressure on the vape, causing it to slowly heat until it catches fire. This is what is suspected to have happened at the Enviro Waste Management yard.
John added: “We want to be direct – if you smoke vapes, it is your responsibility to dispose of them correctly. Do not throw them in general waste bins. Take them to a retailer’s take-back scheme. If you work somewhere without a dedicated vape disposal point, request one from your employer. And if you spot a vape in a bin before collection, remove it. This is not our problem to solve alone. It’s a collective responsibility. One vape in the wrong place nearly cost us everything.”
ENDS