How do you dispose of e-cigarettes correctly? Safety and old devices

Whether a disposable, an old mod or an empty pod: at some point every e-cigarette has to be disposed of. In our shop in Freiburg we often find that customers are not sure where to take it. The most important rule first: e-cigarettes do not belong in household waste. In this guide we explain where to hand in devices, batteries and residues correctly.

Why don’t e-cigarettes belong in household waste?

E-cigarettes are waste electrical devices with a lithium battery. In residual waste they can cause fires, and valuable raw materials are lost.

According to the German Federal Environment Ministry, used e-cigarettes are waste electrical and electronic equipment and must be handed in at an authorised collection point under the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG). The German Environment Agency explicitly counts e-cigarettes among the electrical devices that must not go into household waste. According to the German Environment Agency, batteries do not belong in residual waste, the yellow bin, bulky waste or scrap metal.

Where can I hand in old e-cigarettes?

At municipal collection points such as the recycling centre, at large electrical and food retailers and at all points of sale for e-cigarettes.

• Recycling centre: Municipalities must set up sufficient return points for waste electrical equipment.
• Large retailers: Retailers with more than 400 square metres of space for electrical devices and food retailers with more than 800 square metres of sales space must take back old devices, even if you don’t buy anything new.
• Points of sale for e-cigarettes: Since 1 July 2026, an unrestricted take-back obligation for disposable e-cigarettes has applied in Germany. According to the Brandenburg Ministry of the Environment, vape shops, kiosks and petrol stations must now also take back empty disposable e-cigarettes, even if they were not bought there and without a new purchase.

As a point of sale, this obligation also applies to us: you can hand in empty disposable e-cigarettes at our shop.

What do I do with the battery?

Remove removable batteries before disposal and hand them in separately at a battery collection box.

This is what the Federal Environment Ministry and the German Environment Agency prescribe. Collection boxes are available wherever batteries are sold, for example in supermarkets, drugstores and DIY stores. If the battery is built in, as with most pod systems and disposables, hand in the whole device as waste electrical equipment.

How do I deal with damaged batteries?

A swollen, deformed or overheated battery is a safety risk. Do not charge it any more, do not store it near flammable objects and take it to a collection point promptly. Tape over the terminals of loose batteries to prevent a short circuit.

What do I do with liquid residues, pods and coils?

Empty the tank as completely as possible before handing in the device. For liquid residues and consumables, ask your recycling centre how they are disposed of there.

Nicotine-containing liquids are poisonous. Keep residues closed and out of reach of children and pets until disposal. Do not pour liquid down the drain. You can read how long liquids last in the first place in the guide How long do liquids last?.

Which questions do we hear most often in the shop?

Does handing them in cost anything?

No. Handing in waste electrical equipment at collection points and old batteries at collection boxes is free of charge for you.

Do I have to have bought the device where I hand it in?

No. For disposable e-cigarettes, the take-back obligation has applied since July 2026 regardless of where you bought them.

Does an empty pod belong in the yellow bin?

Pods with a built-in coil contain metal and liquid residues. If in doubt, ask your recycling centre.

Note: This guide is intended exclusively for adults. We sell all products only to persons aged 18 and over. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance. This article does not replace medical advice. If you want to quit smoking, you can find free help on the rauchfrei portal of the German Federal Institute for Public Health.

About the authors – Team Dampfstelle Freiburg: We are an owner-managed specialist shop in Freiburg-Zähringen and have been advising customers in our shop every day since August 2022. Our team has been vaping for over 10 years and knows the devices, liquids and typical problems from personal experience.

Last updated: 14.10.2026

Which sources is this article based on?

1. German Federal Environment Ministry: How can I dispose of my e-cigarette correctly? (in German). https://www.bundesumweltministerium.de/faq/wie-kann-ich-meine-e-zigarette-richtig-entsorgen
2. German Environment Agency: Where to put electronic waste? Disposing of old electrical devices correctly (in German). https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/umwelttipps-fuer-den-alltag/wohin-dem-elektroschrott-alte-elektrogeraete
3. German Environment Agency: Using batteries correctly and disposing of them properly (in German). https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/umwelttipps-fuer-den-alltag/batterien-akkus-richtig-nutzen-fachgerecht
4. Brandenburg Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Consumer Protection: Unrestricted take-back obligation for disposable e-cigarettes (press release of 1 July 2026, in German). https://mleuv.brandenburg.de/mleuv/de/aktuelles/presseinformationen/detail/~01-07-2026-uneingeschraenkte-ruecknahmepflicht-einweg-e-zigaretten
5. German Federal Institute for Public Health: rauchfrei portal (in German). https://www.rauchfrei-info.de/