A vape company has started a partnership to help launch a national vape recycling initiative.

Blackburn-based Totally Wicked has partnered with Veolia, a sustainability solutions provider and one of only a handful of Approved Authorised Treatment Facilities that can recycle vape products effectively.

This collaboration ensures that used vapes will be disposed of safely and efficiently, promoting sustainability and reducing waste in the vaping industry.

With the rapid rise in popularity in vaping as an alternative to smoking - or as an ill-thought-out fashion statement - the chunky, colourful plastic single-use products have quickly become a common sight littered on roadsides and in bushes and hedgerows.

Vape disposal bins will be available in more than 150 of Totally Wicked's stores nationwide, allowing customers to return any brand of vape bought from any retailer for free.

Totally Wicked will transfer the vapes to a safe, fire-retardant storage solution, where they are collected and taken away for recycling.

Totally Wicked chief executive, and chair of the Independent British Vape Trade Association, Marcus Saxton, said: "As a responsible vaping brand, we recognise that it's not enough to simply sell high-quality vaping products.

“We must also take responsibility for the environmental impact of those products and work to minimise it as much as possible.

“By providing a comprehensive recycling program for vapes, we're taking concrete steps to reduce waste and promote sustainability within the vaping industry.

“We believe that this is an essential part of our duty, which in conjunction with our importer and retailer obligations, ensures we truly live and breathe our responsibilities as true leaders in our field, and an ethical business, which sits at the heart of our organisation."

Totally Wicked's recycling scheme is aimed at preventing used vapes from ending up in landfill and littering the streets by recycling valuable components and returning them to the manufacturing supply chain.

Veolia's expertise in this area ensures the components are disassembled and recycled efficiently, supporting a circular economy and reducing waste.

In addition to providing a solution for recycling vape waste, Totally Wicked is also committed to educating people on the benefits of moving to more sustainable vaping solutions than single-use vapes.

By promoting longer-lasting, rechargeable devices and refillable e-liquids, the company believes that it can reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills.