How to get rid of a vape in Ohio (legally)
Trash is out, the curbside bin is out, and the library battery barrel won't take it either. Here's what Ohio and Mahoning County actually allow.
Start with what’s inside
Ohio EPA calls vapes a challenging material to dispose of because most contain a lithium-ion battery, which creates a fire risk if the device goes into normal household trash or general recycling. [1]
U.S. EPA goes further. In a 2026 webinar hosted by Ohio EPA, the agency laid out why e-cigarettes count as hazardous waste: nicotine e-liquid is acutely toxic (hazardous waste code P075), and the lithium-ion battery is likely ignitable and reactive (codes D001 and D003). [2]
If you’re a resident
Ohio EPA’s guidance for homeowners is to contact your solid waste management district. In Mahoning County that’s the Green Team, which runs at least one Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day a year for items not accepted at the curb or at drop-off sites, batteries included. [3][4]
One catch: the battery barrels at Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County branches take common household batteries but not lithium batteries. Those can only go to the Household Hazardous Waste Collection. [5]
If you’re a business
Ohio businesses, including very small quantity generators, cannot put hazardous or universal waste in the trash regardless of the amount. A shop that collects customers’ used vapes is handling a regulated waste stream. [3]
Where VM fits
Our bins are the year-round option between collection days. We place them where vapes are sold and used, pick up on a schedule, and hand off to certified recyclers.